University  of  California  •  Berkeley 
IN  HONOR  OF  Peter  Frazier 

UPON  HIS  RETIREMENT  IN  2OO5 

FROM  The  Council  of  the  Friends  of 

The  Bancroft  Library 
after  his  years  of  valuable  service 


MJp^"^  --^ 


g^'^ 


^'  •7^ov>V  ^***'^^^^  aW^«^ 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/daysforeverflownOOhaslrich 


DAYS    FOREVER    FLOWN 


.<- 


DAYS  FOREVER  FLOWN 


"  Voice  of  the  Western  windy 

Thou  singest /ro7n  a/ar^ 
Rich  with  the  inusic  of  a  land 

Where  all  thy  mem'ries  are. 
But  in  thy  song  I  only  hear 

The  echo  of  a  tone 
That  fell  divinely  on  my  ear 

In  days  forever  flown. 

•'  Star  of  the  Western  sky. 
Thou  beamest  from  afar. 

With  lustre  caught  from  eyes  I  know. 
Whose  orbs  were  each  a  star. 

But,  oh  t  those  eyes  too  widely  bright 
No  m.ore  eclipse  their  own, 

A  nd  never  shall  I  find  the  light 


Of  days  forever  flown."  j       (V^  |^^.  (^  pkV    f^' 


PRIVATELY   PRINTED 


NEW  YORK 
MDCCCXCII 


GILUS8   BROTHERS 
A  402  WEST  14TH  STREET  PRINTS  BY  THE 

NEW   YORK  «EW  YORK  PHOTOGRAVURE  COMPANY 

FROM  ORIGINAL  PHOTOGRAPHS 


yf  T  the  repeated  request  of  many  friends,  these 
yg  leaves  from  my  Journal  of  iSgi  are  given, 
with  no  additions  or  alterations,  and  few 
eliminations  ;  and  although  of  little  interest  to  others, 
and  unworthy  to  he  read,  as  they  were  written  solely 
for  the  refreshing  of  our  memories  as  years  passed 
on,  they  are  offered  to  those  who  knew  and  loved 
my  husband,  in  the  hope  that  a  glimpse  of  the  last  and 
happiest  months  of  his  young  life  may  be  of  interest  to 
them.  Perhaps, — wandering  in  the  same  direction  at 
some  future  time,  it  may  be  a  pleasure  to  know  what 
paths  he  chose,  what  scenes  of  peculiar  interest  at- 
tradted  him,  and  what  unusual  sensations  and  im- 
pressions were  his. 

As  the  writing  of  this  journal  was  at  his  instigation, 
and  was  stimulated  and  sustained  by  his  earnest  en- 
treaties and  watchful  care,  that  no  day  should  be  with- 
out a  chronicle;  and  as  he  always  sat  near  during 
the  hurried  times  of  writing,  it  seems  as  if  his  Spirit 
and  sentiraents  so  pervade  these  pages,  that  they  must 
have  been  unwittingly  written  for  just  such  a  purpose, 
as  a  ''Memorial  of  Sunshine,''  to  give  the  brightness 
from  those  happy  months  to  those  who  loved  him. 

How  blessed  that  through  those  wonderful  wander- 
ings we  dreamed  not  of  the  shadow,  so  swiftly  follow- 


ing  our  path  of  sunshine.  As  we  stood,  side  by  side, 
in  those  supreme  moments,  when  marvelous  beauty 
suddenly  surrounded  us  on  every  hand,  and  our  eyes 
seemed  to  behold  the  reflexion  of  some  heavenly 
grandeur,  we  did  not  realiT^e  how  soon  the  Gates  of 
Pearl  would  open  for  one  of  us,  and  one  would  stand 
in  the  light, — and  the  other  in  the  darkness.  There 
was  no  fear  for  us  then,  by  day  or  night;  life  seemed 
too  bright  for  shadows  or  sorrows, — and  it  is  well  that 
"  we  are  led  on,  like  the  little  children,  by  a  way  we 
know  not. ' ' 

The  sun  will  not  shine  for  us  forever,  the  brightness 
of  life  cannot  always  be  ours,  for  '"  into  each  life  some 
rain  must  fall, ' '  but  when  *'  the  days  are  cold  and  dark 
and  dreary,''  we  can  look  upward  to  the  '"Man  of 
Sorrows,"  who  was  acquainted  with  grief,  and  back- 
ward upon  our  lives,  and  win  calm  and  peace  to  walk 
''serene  in  sorrow,"  from  the  happiness  which  has 
been  ours,  and  from  the  blessed  memories  which  the 
Father  hath  granted  us. 

"  With  grateful  hearts  the  past  we  own. 
The  future,  all  to  us  unknown, 
We  to  Thy  guardian  care  commit, 
And  peaceful  leave  before  Thy  feet  T 

M.  A.  H. 
Jan.  7,  i8g2. 


OUR  JOURNEY  OVERLAND 


FRIDAY,  MAY    8TH,    1 89 1. 

ALTHOUGH  superstition  points  to  an  un- 
lucky ending  for  anything  begun  on  this 
day  of  the  week,  James   and  I  had  long 
ago  chosen  it  as  our  particular  day   for 
going    anywhere,   and  as   James    often  said,  "We 
start  everywhere  on  a  Friday,  and  we  always  have 
good  luck." 

After  spending  together,  at  home,  the  wedding 
anniversary — 

"  As  it  fell  upon  a  day 
In  the  merry  month  of  May  " — 

which  chronicled  seven  years  of  happiness,  we 
started  to-day,  Friday,  May  8th,  for  our  anticipated 
journey  overland. 

The  day  was  without  incident;  the  "Pennsyl- 
vania Limited  "to  Chicago  passing  through  quite 
familiar  country,  and  being  "an  old  story"  to  us, 
we  had  little  to  marvel  at,  and  nothing  to  attract 
us,  save  the  beautiful  suggestions  of  the  coming 
Summer,  which  are  ever  a  powerful  stimulant  to 
thought   and    reflection.       A  little   verse   on    the 


prophecy  of  Spring,  which  Mamma  wrote,  recurs  to 
me : 

"And  so  the  tiny  tender  blade 
Whispers  the  promise  God  has  made 
Of  Summer  sun, — the  song  of  bird, 
The  valleys  green, — the  grazing  herd, — 
And  from  the  trees,  the  slender  shoot 
Foretells  the  bud,  the  flower,  the  fruit." 

"The  April  winds  are  magical,'*  and  bring  the 
beautiful  blossom-laden  month  of  May,  and  the 
dainty  daisies  with  their  hearts  of  gold,  and  the 
violets  in  their  modesty; — sweet  shy  blue-bells, 
hanging  their  heads  "as  they  wait  for  their  lover;" 
and  the  glorious  daffodils; — truly  the  Springtime 
brings  a  newness  to  life  and  expectation,  which 
makes  the  world  as  attractive  and  entrancing,  as  if 
touched  by  a  wand  of  magic.  There  seems  a  new 
brightness  and  joy  in  the  sunshine,  a  new  beauty  in 
the  buds  and  blossoms  in  every  Springtide,  as  if  we 
had  not  experienced  the  same  sensations  only  a 
twelvemonth  ago. 

And  so  a  journey  begun  at  such  a  beautiful 
season  is  always  full  of  hope  and  promise. 

SATURDAY,   MAY  9TH. 

\\T E  reached  Chicago  at  9.45  A.  M.,  and  drove  at 
once  to  the  Auditorium  Hotel.  It  was  a 
pleasure  to  return  to  the  beautiful  city  which  was 
once  home  to  us,  and  after  five  years'  absence,  we 
naturally  found  numerous   changes  in  the  appear- 

8 


ance  of  things.  If  **  Architecture  is  frozen  Music  " 
Chicago  is  one  glorious  harmonious  anthem. 

After  resting,  seeing  some  friends,  and  dining,  we 
went  to  see  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kendal,  in  "The  Iron- 
master," and  James  was  much  impressed  by  the 
fine  acting  of  the  English  favorites.  Through  great 
rolling  tears  Jamie  smiled  at  me,  and  said  **  Is  this 
the  play  that  Mother  and  Lizzie  wept  over?  I 
don't  wonder  at  it !  " 

SUNDAY,  MAY    lOTH. 

nPHE  day  dawned  for  us  about  ten  o'clock,  and  it 

was  pouring  and  promised  a  wretched   day. 

It  was  bright  indoors,  however,  for  our  welcome  to 

Chicago  was  so  cordial  and  enthusiastic,  and  friends 

were  with  us  all  day.      We  went  to  Cousin  L *s 

to  supper. 

MONDAY,   MAY    IlTH. 

A  LOVELY,  lovely  morning.  After  breakfast, 
'^  James  went  down-town  to  see  his  friends,  with 
whom  he  was  associated  in  business  many  years  in 
the  "  West  Countree."  His  welcome  was  more 
than  he  had  ever  dreamed  it  would  be,  and  he  was 
like  a  big  happy  boy,  when  he  returned  to  tell  me  of 

it.     Miss  K came  to  see  me  at  once,  and  invited 

us  to  dine  with  them  this  evening,  and  see  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Kendal  again,  which  invitation  we  accepted, 
and  had  a  most  enjoyable  time. 


TUESDAY,   MAY    I2TH. 

A  NOTHER  lovely  day.      After  breakfast,  James 

and  I  went  down  town  on  some  important 

errands,  but  returned  in  time  to  see  our  good  friend 

C.  S.W.,  who  lunched  with  us  and  was  delightful,  as  of 

old.     We  missed  so  many  callers  to-day,  for  we  went 

about  five  o'clock,  with  Cousins  L and  A 

for  a  delightful  drive,  through  Jackson  and  Washing 
ton  Parks,  and  to  visit  the  site  of  the  World's  Fair. 
Chicago  impresses  us  more  than  ever.  It  is  a 
marvelous  city,  with  superb  drives  and  wonderfully 
beautiful  parks,  and  so  many  and  so  large,  that  the 
few  little  breathing  spaces,  in  most  of  our  eastern 
cities,  seem  nothing  in  comparison.  We  dined  at 
the  fine  "  Washington  Park  Club,"  of  which  Cousin 
A.  is  a  member,  and  had  a  charming  drive  back  to 
the  hotel. 

WEDNESDAY,   MAY    13TH. 

"IXTE  had  a  feast  this  morning  in  some  home  let- 
ters, and  such  a  laugh  over  a  "  Clever  Collec- 
tion of  C-ing-C-ong  Comedy,"  an  unceasing  flow  from 
the  little  Mother's  witty  pen.  The  first  few  hours 
of  our  winged  flight  from  New  York  to  Philadelphia, 
I  amused  myself  composing  a  stupid  affair  about 
"  cheery  cottages,  with  creeping  climbers,  churches 
with  chorus  choirs,  chuckling  chickens,  comely  cows, 
captivating  caterpillars,  capering  calves  and  such 
coarse,  comic  comedy,  "  sending  it  home  from  Phila- 
delphia on  a  postal  card,  and  calling  it  "  Concoction 


No.  I."  Imagine  our  surprise  to  receive  in  answer 
from  the  Mother,  "  Careening  cars,  carrying  certain 
characters  'cross  country,  in  continuous  course, 
cause  continual  commotion,  constantly  conjuring 
clever  conceptions,  carefully  concealed  in  capacious 
cerebral  chambers,  and  conspicuously  conveyed  on 
a  convenient  card,  to  one  closely  connected  by  con- 
ditions of  consanguinity.  The  Concoction,  a  curi- 
ous concern  from  its  commencement,  containing 
considerable  and  commendable  commodities,  will 
convince  and  convict,  caress  and  cajole  its  contents 
as  you  will,  constraining  one  to  conclude  its  con- 
tributor was  certainly  '  C '-sick,  or  perhaps  'half 
c's  over* ! " 

James  with  C.  S.  W.  went  to  visit  Pullman  to-day, 
to  see  the  place  where,  five  years  ago,  he  gave  up 
his  business  relations  and  interests.  He  wanted  to 
see  the  friends  there  as  well,  and  the  three  clerks 
whom  he  gladly  gave  a  start  in  the  business  world 
before  he  left  them.  He  had  a  most  satisfactory 
visit ;  every  one  was  rejoiced  to  see  him,  and  he  was 
thoroughly  pleased  that  he  had  gone. 

My  day  was  a  full  one,  with  so  many  calls,  a  de- 
lightful luncheon  with  the  H's  in  their  beautiful 
new  home,  and  we  made  calls  in  the  evening. 

THURSDAY,   MAY    14TH. 

A  MONG  many  visitors  to-day  was  a  young  fel- 
'^  low  whom  James  had  taken  into  his  employ 
when  he  first  went  to  Pullman,  and  of  whom  he  was 


always  fond.  He  was  so  anxious  to  see  James,  and 
after  paying  me  a  visit,  he  followed  him  down  to 
Mr.  K.'s  office,  and  saw  him  there.  He  told  me 
that  he  remembered  so  well  the  morning  he  arrived 
in  Pullman,  and  sat  on  his  trunk  outside  James's 
store.  James  happened  to  pass  soon  after,  and 
seeing  this  nice  little  fellow  of  thirteen  years, 
stopped  and  spoke  to  him,  and  finding  he  desired 
employment,  James  took  him  at  once  into  his 
store,  "  for  he  was  such  a  smart  little  chap,"  as  he 
often  told  me.  This  "  little  chap  "  is  now  a  fine 
big  fellow,  and  he  told  me  to-day,  **  It  was  my  for- 
tune to  meet  Mr.  Haslehurst  that  morning,  for  he 
has  always  been  my  ideal  ever  since  in  all  I  have 
done,  and  I  have  never  felt  for  any  one  else  in  the 
world  the  regard  I  have  for  Mr.  Haslehurst."  I 
could  ''fill  a  small  volume"  with  his  praise  for 
James,  but  I  felt  most  deeply  when  he  solemnly 
added,  "  He  started  me  right  in  the  world,  Mrs. 
Haslehurst,  and  I  owe  my  good  fortune  to  his  ad- 
vice and  example."  That  boy  is  right;  he  is  a 
"  true  knight  and  matchless." 

More  calls,  and  all  day !  Such  a  cordial  and 
hearty  reception  in  Chicago  pleases  James  exceed- 
ingly, and  is  more  than  we  could  have  expected. 
As  we  rolled  into  the  depot  last  Saturday  morning, 
with  so  much  anticipation  in  our  hearts,  I  whis- 
pered to  James,  "  I  wonder  if  we  will  be  glad  we 
have  come,  or  perhaps  we  have  lost  our  places  in 
the  hearts  of  our  friends,  and  we  will  be  quite  ready 


to  move  on  next  Thursday."  We  feel  like  children 
now,  quite  ready  to  cry,  because  we  have  arranged 
to  start  on  to-night.  Chicago  was  never  so  charm- 
ing, our  friends  have  showered  upon  us  most  lovely 
attentions,and  we  find  them  more  attractive  than  ever* 

At  half-past  nine  o'clock  to-night,  with  C.  S.  W. 
accompanying  (and  a  large  roll  of  magazines  and 
newspapers,  and  a  big  basket  of  every  conceivable 
kind  of  fresh  and  candied  fruit,  which  his  bounty 
had  provided)  James  and  I  started  for  the  Chicago 
and  North-western  Railroad  Depot,  where  we  took 
a  train  for  the  West, 

As  we  reached  the  depot,  C.  S.  W.  exclaimed, 
"  This  road  discharged  four  hundred  and  fifty 
switchmen  this  morning,  owing  to  a  strike,  and 
have  new  hands  on  to-night."  Little  chills  played 
tag  up  and  down  my  spinal  column,  but  I  only 
smiled  automatically.  As  we  moved  out  of  Chicago, 
I  rolled  up  my  curtain  and  looked  out,  and  sure 
enough  every  switchman  was  accompanied  by  a 
policeman,  with  club  upheld,  and  in  the  weird  light 
of  the  switchman's  lantern,  and  the  green  and  red 
lights  of  the  switch  signals,  it  was  anything  but 
comforting  and  reassuring.  We  slept,  however,  in 
spite  of  danger,  real  or  imaginary. 

FRIDAY,  MAY  15th. 

/^N  the  train  from  Chicago  to  Denver.  Breakfast 
^^  at  7.45  A.  M.,  and  after  that,  what  a  long  day 
it  was !     I  was  ready  for  bed  at   11  A.  M. !     It  was 

13 


one  of  God's  days  of  creation,  without  beginning 
and  without  end.  We  managed  to  procure  stools 
from  the  porter,  and  sat  out  on  the  rear  platform  of 
the  car,  within  the  folds  of  the  vestibule  appliance, 
most  of  the  day.  We  met  a  gentleman  from  New 
York,  and  we  three  sat  together  in  our  "  Observa- 
tion Car,*'  the  two  gentlemen  smoking,  chatting, 
reading,  etc.  We  discussed  Theology  and  Theoso- 
phy,  Darwin  and  Evolution,  and  then  descended  to 
conundrums  and  stories. 

We  passed  through  Iowa  and  Nebraska  to-day. 
Iowa  is  a  beautiful  State  to  us,  finely  cultivated,  and 
for  miles  and  miles  we  seemed  to  be  traveling 
through  great  farms ;  the  ground  was  ploughed  and 
planted,  cleared  of  all  rubbish,  and  stumps  and 
stones,  and  one  could  easily  imagine  they  were 
traveling  through  English  country.  Prosperity  and 
contentment  were  in  the  very  air,  and  if  we  could 
have  seen  the  farmers  and  their  families,  I  am  sure 
we  would  have  found  them  all  well  fed  and  well 
clothed.  It  was  a  pleasant  journey  to  Council 
Bluffs.  There  we  waited  a  half  hour,  while  wheel- 
men went  under  the  cars,  other  men  on  top,  exam- 
ining and  cleaning  everything  for  the  rest  of  the 
trip.  We  saw  sad  sights  among  some  emigrants ; 
poor  people,  they  are  handled  like  cattle  in  trans- 
portation. 

When  we  crossed  the  muddy  Missouri  and  reached 
Omaha,  our  friend,  seeing  some  wretched  huts  and 
hovels  near  our  tracks,  exclaimed  in  most  ironical 


14 


tones  to  me,  ^*  This  is  the  aristocratic  part  of  the 
town  !  "  **  No,  sir,  it  ain't,"  exclaimed  a  man  stand- 
ing near,  who  looked  as  if  he  had  never  understood 
a  joke  in  his  life  ;  "  I've  lived  here  two  years,  and 
the  best  part  of  the  town  is  up  yonder."  Well, 
Omaha  is  a  fine  city  no  doubt,  but  from  the  railroad 
it  is  singularly  uninviting. 

We  hurried  along  through  or  into  Nebraska,  and 
as  we  came  to  the  prairies,  we  were  filled  with  inter- 
est to  see  the  beautiful  clusters  of  fine  trees,  the 
pretty  farm  houses  and  barns  gathered  under  these 
trees,  and  lovely  verdure  everywhere.  Gradually 
the  trees  diminished  in  number,  and  in  nearness  to 
one  another,  the  houses  were  fewer  and  poorer,  and 
finally  there  were  no  trees  at  all,  and  such  parched 
and  dry  lands,  such  desolate  and  dreary  deserts,  and 
the  huts  and  shanties  looked  as  if  they  would  tum- 
ble into  heaps  of  rubbish,  if  their  owners  sneezed. 
Then  the  prairies  became  rolling  and  sandy;  hills  of 
sand  had  formed  by  the  side  of  the  tracks,  where 
protective  walls  and  fences  had  been  erected,  and  as 
we  went  further,  into  Nebraska,  the  desolation  was 
dreadful,  and  the  degradation  was  in  keeping  with 
the  rest.  We  saw  ranchmen  on  their  horses,  some- 
times shooting,  at  other  times  galloping  across  a 
limitless,  undivided  country,  without  road  or  any- 
thing to  guide  one,  save  marks  at  intervals  of  wheels 
and  hoofs.  The  herds  of  horses  and  cattle  were 
near  the  tracks,  by  hundreds  and  hundreds ;  and  such 
deplorable,  dispirited  animals,  looking  like  whipped 

IS 


dogs  ;  they  made  our  hearts  ache,  they  seemed 
so  dejected  and  forlorn.  Even  the  cows  (and  I  never 
did  like  cows),  made  me  feel  pity  for  them.  They 
move  like  snails  across  the  prairies. 

Of  course  there  are  places  in  all  this  dreary  desert 
that  surprise  and  interest  one.  Corning,  Nebraska, 
is  a  lively  little  place,  with  electric  lights,  a  cable- 
road,  and  showed  signs  of  genuine  thrift.  But 
these  places  of  size  and  activity  are  few  and  far 
between  in  Nebraska.  Grand  Island  was  wide-awake 
and  stirring,  and  when  we  asked  what  made  its  suc- 
cess and  prosperity  and  growth,  they  told  us 
"  There's  a  big  beet-sugar  factory  here." 

SATURDAY,   MAY    i6TH. 

A  LTHOUGH  we  were  conscious  of  long  waits  in 
the  night,  and  -visions  of  Indians  with  toma- 
hawks and  knives  were  in  my  dreams,  we  did  not 
know  until  we  awoke  on  Saturday  morning,  that  a 
burning  bridge  had  delayed  us  three  hours  and  a 
half.  A  queer  resignation  comes  over  one,  when  he 
is  in  a  fix  and  there  is  no  help  for  it,  and  so  Jamie 
and  I  settled  ourselves,  to  wait  indefinitely  for 
breakfast,  oranges  and  bananas,  from  the  bountiful 
basket  presented  to  us  when  we  left  Chicago,  quiet- 
ing the  most  acute  pangs  of  the  long  enforced  fast. 
About  ten  o'clock  a  porter's  welcome  voice  rang 
through  the  car,  and  announced  that  "  this  train  will 
stop  ten  minutes  at  La  Salle  (Colorado)  for  break- 
fast."    Everybody  braced  up  at  the  mere  mention 

16 


of  such  a  thing,  and  visions  of  something,  at  least 
edible,  wandered  through  our  empty  and  benumbed 
craniums.  It  was  pouring  hard  when  La  Salle  was 
reached,  and  a  low  one-story  shanty,  with  a  counter 
across  one  end,  was  the  "  breakfast  room."  Mud- 
like coffee  was  sold  to  the  weary  traveller,  with 
sandwiches,  and  although  Jamie  was  among  the 
first  to  leave  the  train  in  search  of  something 
tempting,  the  sandwiches  had  given  out  before  he 
reached  the  counter.  Dirty  and  distressing  it  was, 
a  little  house  set  down  in  the  wide  weary  waste,  and 
the  only  thing  attractive  there,  animate  or  inani- 
mate, was  a  great  big  good-natured  Newfoundland 
dog,  who  wanted  every  one  to  pet  him, — but  we 
could  not  eat  him !  We  returned  to  our  fruit 
basket,  with  a  "  Thank  God,  we  have  this,"  and 
after  our  appetites  had  been  appeased,  having  seen 
some  weary  and  tired  people  in  the  emigrant  car,  I 
went  there  with  my  basket  and  attempted  to  feed 
them.  When  I  asked  one  nice  looking  woman,  who 
had  evidently  seen  better  days,  if  she  would  have 
an  orange,  she  answered,  **  Oh,  yes,  indeed  I  will, 
and  I'll  pay  you  too,  how  much  is  it?"  After 
explaining  that  they  were  given  to  me,  and  I  in 
turn  desired  to  give  them  to  her,  she  hurriedly 
added,  "But  I  always  like  to  pay  for  what  I  have.'* 
Next  I  passed  the  basket  to  a  young  mother  with  a 
baby  on  her  breast,  and  her  big-lipped,  stupid  look- 
ing husband  said  "  How  much,  Ma'am  ?  "  My 
single  word   "  Nothing "  must  have  produced  the 

17 


desired  result,  for  they  accepted  and  devoured  in 
silence.  I  then  visited  a  poor  young  woman  with 
two  wee  babes,  and  left  my  basket  and  its  diminish- 
ing contents  to  her  to  distribute. 

On  reaching  Denver  at  half  past  eleven,  we  drove 
to  the  hotel  where  President  Harrison  had  stopped, 
but  as  it  was  not  yet  open  for  regular  guests,  we 
went  to  "The  Windsor."  We  felt  the  high  altitude 
of  the  city  greatly,  which  is  at  an  elevation  of  five 
thousand,  one  hundred  and  ninety-six  feet,  and  it  pro- 
duced a  depressing  effect  at  first.  It  seemed  as  if 
our  heads  would  surely  leave  our  shoulders,  they 
felt  so  light.  "  Was  it  the  air,"  does  any  one  ask  ? 
Unkind,  unfeeling  mortals ! 

SUNDAY,   MAY    17TH. 

nPHEY  say  they  seldom  have  seen  such  a  rainy  day 
as  yesterday,  in  Denver,  and  that  five  months 
may  pass  now,  without  more  rain  visiting  the  city. 

To-day  has  been  lovely.  This  morning  the  mud 
was  ankle  deep,  but  it  has  dried  rapidly  and  was 
really  dusty  when  we  drove  about  the  city  in  the 
afternoon. 

Denver  is  a  wonderful  city.  There  are  fine 
buildings  and  fine  dwellings,  some  really  palatial 
homes,  but  altogether  the  city  impressed  us  as  a 
great  big  town,  overgrown  and  provincial.  But  the 
street-car  system  is  marvelous.  Cable-cars  run  in 
every  direction,  north,  south,  east  and  west,  around 
curves,  passing  and  crossing  tracks  of  other  lines, 

x8 


and  making  one  dizzy  by  their  rapid  movements. 
The  city  seems  like  a  great  aeolian  harp,  for  every 
car  must  sound  a  gong  at  crossings,  and  they  ring  in 
every  key  of  the  chromatic  scale. 

We  saw  all  parts  of  the  city,  Ex-Senator  Tabor's 
residence,  Grant  Street,  Lincoln,  Logan  and  Sher- 
man Streets,  Colfax  and  Pennsylvania  Avenues, 
etc.,  as  well  as  churches  of  all  denominations  and 
creeds,  and  much  of  real  interest.  While  a  marvel- 
ous city  in  growth,  power  and  prosperity,  Denver 
attracts  us  less  than  any  city  we  were  ever  in. 
Perhaps  we  are  not  yet  in  tune  with  the  western 
spirit  and  enterprise,  but  I  think  we  are  fair  in  our 
judgment  and  criticism. 

Everybody  here  is  from  the  East,  even  the  bell- 
boys and  maids  and  the  porters.  To-day  our  porter 
said  *'  I'm  from  Boston  M'am,  I  had  the  asthm-y,  and 
had  to  come  here,  but  I'm  cured  now." 

MONDAY,  MAY  i8TH. 

A  X  rE  are  thoroughly  satisfied  with  our  knowledge 
of  Denver,  as  a  long  walk  this  morning  added 
to  our  acquaintance  with  this  western  city. 

It  was  beautifully  bright  in  the  early  part  of  the 
day,  but  a  mist  and  heavy  clouds  obscured  our  view 
of  the  mountains,  which  our  geographical  bumps 
told  us  surrounded  Denver.  When  we  turned  on 
our  homeward  tramp,  the  clouds  had  all  rolled 
away,  and  there  before  us  were  the  snow-capped 
Rocky  Mountains.     They  were  most  majestic  and 

19 


wonderfully  imposing  to  us,  and  we  stood  spell- 
bound with  admiration.  A  great  range  of  dark 
stormy  mountains  surround  Denver,  and  behind, 
peeping  between  the  dark  summits,  are  the  great 
monarchs,  beautifully  and  dazzlingly  white.  The 
highest  peak  we  saw  to-day  was  Long's  Peak,  over 
fourteen  thousand  and  eighty-eight  feet  high.  They 
are  so  near  heaven,  it  seems  as  if  they  must  reflect 
the  glory  of  the  Great  White  Throne. 

TUESDAY,  MAY  I9TH. 

TXrE  were  glad  our  lucky  star  had  aided  us  in 
deciding  to  leave  Denver  to-day,  for  before 
we  were  astir,  the  hotel  was  noisy  with  the  newly 
arrived  representatives  from  Louisiana  and  Texas, 
for  the  Trans-Mississippi  Congress.  Before  we  were 
out  of  our  room,  while  we  were  dressing,  two  noble 
specimens  were  assigned  to  our  palatial  apartment, 
but  as  we  strongly  objected,  they  went  away. 
While  we  were  at  breakfast,  we  hired  the  chamber- 
maid to  abide  in  our  room,  and  guard  our  goods  and 
chattels,  and  while  she  was  getting  fresh  linen  for 
the  bed,  the  blooming  Southern  representatives 
walked  in,  deposited  their  '*  where-with-alls  "  and 
dusters,  and  began  "  a  tub  "  in  the  bath  room.  They 
were  cut  short  in  their  exercises  by  the  return  of 
our  fair  hired  damsel,  and  were  ushered  out  until 
we  should  start.  They  left  their  bags  reluctantly, 
fearing  we  might  "take  them  by  mistake." 

We  left  Denver  at  9  A.  M.,  and  before  we    had 


pushed  our  way  out  of  the  city,  we  were  speechless. 
The  great  mountains  of  the  Rockies  stood  out  in 
bold  relief,  and  such  grandeur  in  their  size  and 
shapes,  with  the  ever-changing  fleecy  clouds  passing 
over  them,  made  a  picture  against  the  sky  never  to 
be  forgotten.  The  rocks  and  scrub-oaks  were  liter- 
ally black  in  the  shadows  made  by  the  passing 
clouds,  and  they  stood  out  in  such  boldness  against 
the  white  snow  mountains  in  the  background.  It 
was  a  perfect  day,  and  a  perfect  vision  of  wonder 
and  surprise  to  us.  Our  trip  from  Denver  to 
Colorado  Springs  was  one  long  exclamation!  Jamie 
and  I,  as  usual,  sat  on  the  rear  platform  of  the  train, 
on  comfortable  stools  provided  by  the  porter. 

As  we  left  Denver,  the  great  snow-monarchs 
seemed  to  form  a  half-circle  about  us,  and  as  we 
hurried  along,  the  view  was  ever  changing,  and 
presenting  new  and  interesting  sights.  Looming  up 
against  the  sky,  we  would  see  great  rocks,  with  every 
kind  of  broken  outlines,  representing  castles,  ani- 
mals, etc.,  and  finally  right  before  us,  stood  a  great 
wall  of  rock,  hundreds  of  feet  high,  exactly  like  photo- 
graphs I  saw  not  long  ago,  in  one  of  our  magazines, 
of  the  homes  of  the  cave-dwellers  of  Mexico.  As  we 
hurried  along,  on  what  western  people  call  a  fast 
train  (going  twenty-five  miles  an  hour),  we  were 
deeply  impressed  by  the  queer  rock  formations, 
along  the  plains  and  prairies  on  our  left,  and  in  the 
great  mountains  on  our  right.  Some  huge  piles  of 
stone,  hundreds  of  feet  high,  terminated  in  a  flat 


square  top,  making  the  whole  mountain  resemble  a 
cone  decapitated.  I  exclaimed  once,  in  the  presence 
of  a  fellow-traveller :  "  These  must  at  one  time  have 
been  volcanoes,  they  look  just  like  extinct  craters.'^ 
"  And  they  are,"  came  the  answer  from  my  better 
informed  companion.  On  top  of  some  of  these 
mountains  were  formations  of  rock,  like  the  castles 
on  the  Rhine,  as  picturesque  and  beautiful,  and  of 
one  of  them  I  was  able  to  take  a  photograph.  Some 
rocks  took  the  form  of  animals, — one  near  the  rail- 
road represented  perfectly  a  huge  elephant, — 
another  was  poised  on  a  high  pinnacle,  and  resem- 
bled an  eagle. 

It  is  wonderful  to  ride  over  these  road-beds  and 
fine  railroads,  and  realize  that  all  these  miles  of  road, 
through  the  wild  prairie  lands  and  deserts,  have 
been  laid  mile  by  mile,  by  men's  hands  ;  and  it  is 
remarkable  to  see  how  all  the  obstacles  of  nature 
have  been  overcome  by  the  brains  of  men.  The 
country  through  which  we  passed  was  cultivated, 
and  looked  rich  and  fertile,  and  the  ranches  seemed 
prosperous  and  well-cared  for. 

What  interested  us  greatly  were  the  little  towns 
of  prairie  dog  mounds.  These  little  animals  move 
along  in  great  numbers,  and  some  hillsides  were 
fairly  peppered  by  the  little  pointed  sandy  hills. 

Colorado  Springs  we  reached  at  twelve  o'clock, 
after  a  three  hours'  ride  from  Denver,  and  were  most 
agreeably  pleased  in  our  first  view.  The  town 
itself,  numbering  between  ten  and  twelve  thousand 


inhabitants,  is  prettily  laid  out, — the  streets  are 
very  wide  and  the  houses  are  exceedingly  pictur- 
esque. Many  people,  who  cannot  live  anywhere  else 
in  health,  can  live  here,  consequently  many  wealthy 
families  have  gathered  in  Colorado  Springs,  and  as 
their  surroundings  accord  with  their  means  and 
taste,  the  town  is  exceedingly  attractive.  There 
are  no  tall  buildings, — the  hotel,  "  The  Antlers,"  is 
the  highest  in  town,  and  it  is  such  a  fine  hotel, 
beautifully  furnished  and  most  comfortable.  The 
whole  city  impresses  one  as  a  prairie  town,  with  the 
exception  of  the  grand  mountains  in  the  back- 
ground. The  stores  are  good,  presenting  novelties 
and  attractions,  and  they  have  fine  public  buildings 
as  well.  One  remarkable  thing  in  these  western 
towns  is  the  great  use  of  electricity.  Nothing  but 
electric  lights  are  used  everywhere,  and  electric 
cars  go  in  all  directions. 

WEDNESDAY,   MAY  20TH. 

A  LTHOUGH  cloudy  this  morning,  we  deter- 
'^  mined  to  start  out  about  ten  o'clock  for  a  drive, 
to  begin  to  see  the  points  of  interest  about  this 
pretty  little  place.  We  had  a  good  driver,  a  light 
wagon  with  a  covering  over  our  heads,  and  armed 
with  mackintoshes  and  umbrellas,  we  started.  We 
drove  through  Colorado  City,  which  is  ugly  and 
flat,  and  has  absolutely  no  charms,  save  its  close 
proximity  to  the  great  rocks  and  wonders,  rising  so 
unexpectedly  out   of    the    plains,   and   called   the 

33 


**  Garden  of  the  Gods."  The  great  entrance,  with 
its  red  sandstone  and  white  rocky  mounds,  presented 
an  imposing  spectacle,  as  we  first  saw  them  during  a 
drive  through  Colorado  City  to  Manitou.  Manitou 
is  five  miles  from  Colorado  Springs,  and  is  at  the 
foot  of  a  great  mountain  range,  all  its  roads  being 
up  and  down  hill  and  wonderfully  picturesque,  with 
the  little  shops  bordering  them,  and  the  pretty  little 
houses  for  summer  guests  perched  up  on  every  con- 
ceivable pinnacle  and  corner  of  rock.  It  reminded 
us  of  a  foreign  watering  place,  but,  of  course,  is  not 
so  large  or  so  well  patronized.  We  climbed  one 
winding  road  to  the  famous  Iron  Spring,  which 
James  tasted  and  pronounced  "  good.*'  We  then 
retraced  our  steps,  and  the  plucky  little  horses  be- 
gan an  ascent,  we  little  dreamed  of  at  the  start. 
We  climbed  up  and  up  between  two  high  mountains, 
over  a  road  cut  from  the  solid  rock,  with  huge  per- 
pendicular cliffs  towering  up  each  side  of  us,  and  the 
driveway  fenced  in  to  prevent  falling  to  the  depths 
below.  We  were  then  climbing  the  celebrated 
"  Ute  Pass," — the  mountain  pass  used  by  the  Ute 
Indians,  and  later  by  the  people  of  Leadville  during 
their  mining  excitement.  The  rocks  are  full  of  iron 
and  copper,  and  the  pink  and  green  coloring  was 
picturesque.  Suddenly,  and  without  warning,  the 
driver  turned  directly  at  right  angles  and  we  began 
a  climb,  up,  up,  up,  until  we  seemed  in  the  very 
clouds,  and  as  if  we  were  hobnobbing  with  all  the 
majestic   summits  of  those   wonderful   mountains. 


We  curved  around,  until  we  had  driven  about  half 
an  hour,  and  had  climbed  to  an  altitude  of 
over  eight  thousand  feet.  We  were  then  at 
the  mouth  of  one  of  the  greatest  wonders 
in  Colorado.  Travellers  who  have  visited  the 
Mammoth  Cave  in  Kentucky,  say  these  grand 
Caverns  of  Iron  Mountain,  Colorado,  are  small  and 
insignificant  in  size,  but  they  were  of  the  deepest 
interest  to  James  and  to  me.  Outside  the  cave  is  a 
little  hut  where  you  register  your  name,  pay  your 
admission,  and  hire  a  guide.  They  give  each  visitor 
a  lamp  with  a  reflector,  which  you  carry,  and  when 
our  lamps  were  "trimmed  and  burning"  we  entered 
the  cave. 

The  story  says  that  a  young  man,  named  Snider, 
was  one  day  hunting  on  the  top  of  this  mountain, 
and  seeing  a  small  opening  among  the  rocks,  where 
the  snow  was  melted  away,  began  to  investigate  to 
find  the  cause  of  the  snow  melting  more  there  than 
at  any  other  spot.  He  soon  discovered  warm  air 
coming  from  the  hole,  and  after  digging  awhile 
became  convinced  that  he  had  found  a  cave.  A 
visit  next  day  proved  that  he  had  made  an  important 
discovery,  and  for  four  years  he  kept  his  secret,  until 
he  had  obtained  a  right  to  the  land.  This  happened 
in  1881,  and  in  1885  the  "Grand  Caverns"  were 
opened  to  visitors.  Twenty-five  thousand  people 
visited  them  last  year ;  and  at  one  dollar  a  head, 
who  would  not  discover  a  cavern  ?  I  do  not  know 
how  to  describe  our  trip  through  these  five  under 

25 


ground  chambers,  with  their  wonderful  prismatic 
colors,  their  ribbon  and  pencil  stalactites  and  stal- 
agmites, their  great  ceilings  formed  of  rocks  weigh- 
ing tons  and  tons,  which  seem  ready  to  fall  any 
minute.  We  entered  by  a  long  black  spooky 
passage  first  into  a  ''  Grand  Hall,"  they  call  it,  three 
hundred  feet  long,  and  from  fifty  to  one  hundred 
feet  high.  Up  among  the  great  arches  of  the  roof, 
where  a  ladder  was  placed  to  aid  the  ascent,  was  a 
guide  with  a  lantern  and  a  rod,  playing  on  a  natural 
organ,  formed  of  huge  stalactites  of  ribbon  formation^ 
which  contain  true  musical  scales  of  **  F  "  and  "G. 
He  played  "  We  won't  go  home  till  morning,"  and 
one  othertune,  and  then  sounded  the  most  beautiful, 
rich,  deep-toned  chimes  I  have  ever  heard,  on  some 
pencil  stalactites.  The  ribbon  formation  is  thin  and 
follows  the  surface  to  which  it  grows,  like  a  ribbon 
caught  by  a  pearl  edge.  The  pencil  stalactites  fall  in 
cone  shapes.  No  one  can  imagine  how  queer  it  all 
was,  and  this  wonderful  music  soared  upwards  in  such 
volumes  of  harmony,  in  such  rich  crescendoes  that 
it  seemed  uncanny  and  more  than  mysterious.  The 
ceilings  and  walls  are  covered  with  rainbow  colors  in 
great  waves,  which  our  lamps  enabled  us  to  distin- 
guish plainly,  like  mother-of-pearl  in  some  places  and 
great  opals  in  others.  The  formations  are  remark- 
able, taking  the  shapes  of  carrots  and  beets,  and  of 
a  great  ham.  Some  of  the  walls  are  like  delicate 
coral.  The  Bridal  Chamber  is  beautiful.  It  has  not 
been  open  to  the  public  long  enough  to  be  smoked 

26 


by  the  lamps,  as  some  of  the  others  are,  and  it  is 
beautifully  white.  What  seemed  so  strange  to  me 
were  the  great  white  stalactites,  among  the  darker 
ones,  of  pure  cream-white  alabaster.  Some  were  in 
the  shape  of  huge  candles,  as  purely  white  as  snow. 
In  one  place  it  was  quite  wet  and  dripping,  and 
when  I  asked  the  guide  what  made  it  so,  he  said, 
"  No  one  knows  why,  or  from  where  the  water 
comes."  The  alabaster  is  still  adding  its  white 
deposit,  but  as  it  takes  many  years  to  form  the  thick- 
ness of  a  sheet  of  paper,  it  takes  a  century  to  add 
one  inch. 

One  passage  had  a  dome  one  hundred  and  ten 
feet  high.  We  saw  a  gate  up  at  one  place,  and  the 
guide  told  us  that  about  eighty  feet  further  in,  the 
passage  terminated  in  a  bottomless  pit.  They  have 
never  been  able  to  hear  a  stone  touch  bottom,  or 
lower  anything  into  it  to  touch  or  measure  the 
depth.  I  noticed  a  board  platform,  and  was  stand- 
ing on  it,  when  the  guide  said,  "  Under  your  feet, 
now,  is  a  channel  we  hope  to  explore  next  winter, 
over  one  hundred  feet  deep,  which  is  pure  alabaster, 
and  magnificent."  I  jumped  ten  feet  away,  and 
shuddered;  the  mysterious  influence  of  the  place 
had  begun  to  creep  over  me,  and  I  exclaimed, 
"  Please  don't  move  too  fast,  guide,  for  if  I  lose 
sight  of  you,  I  shall  scream,"  and  most  reassuringly 
he  answered,  *'  You  might  scream  for  a  month,  and 
no  one  would  hear  you."  Another  year  they  hope 
to  light  the  caverns  with  electricity,  and  although  it 

27 


will  enable  people  to  see  all  parts  of  the  cave  better, 
it  will  rob  it  of  its  uncanny  and  mysteriously  weird 
■effect.     It  is  so  unusual  as  it  is  now. 

When  we  came  out  of  the  Caverns  we  found  it 
was  raining  hard,  but  we  were  well  equipped  and 
did  not  mind  it  an  atom,  and  drove  to  the  Barker 
House  in  Manitou,  where  we  had  dinner.  About 
half  past  two  o'clock  we  started  for  Colorado 
Springs,  driving  through  the  *'  Garden  of  the  Gods," 
which  is  a  collection  of  most  wonderfully  formed 
rocks,  placed  in  the  most  remarkable  positions, 
without  rhyme  or  reason,  without  relation  or  like- 
ness one  to  the  other,  and  how  they  came  there, 
and  by  what  process  formed,  makes  one  fairly  faint 
with  conjecture.  Some  are  of  red  sandstone,  almost 
terra-cotta,  others  near  these  red  ones  are  white, 
like  granite,  and  remembering  that  behind,  or  in 
the  background,  is  Pike's  Peak,  in  a  perpetual 
snow  mantle,  you  can  imagine  what  a  beautiful 
picture  these  form.  Queer  resemblances  were 
found  to  animals  and  people.  The  turtle,  alligator's 
head  and  mouth,  whale,  porcupine,  anvil,  toad, 
bear,  sheep  and  seal  are  all  wonderfully  formed  in 
great  isolated  rocks,  which  stand  out  in  relief 
against  the  sky.  Three  great  rocks  amused  us 
greatly ;  one  represented  a  man's  head  and  bust, 
with  a  military  hat,  near  it  stood  a  woman  in  a  cap, 
and  between  the  two  was  a  funny  pile  of  stones,  an 
exact  counterpart  of  a  fat  jolly  bald-headed  baby. 
They  are  named  "  Punch,  and  Judy,  and  the  Baby." 

28 


One  part  of  the  Garden  of  the  Gods  is  called 
Mushroom  Park.  It  is  composed  of  huge  mush-^ 
rooms  of  stone,  perfect  in  every  detail,  and  sa 
numerous  and  colossal,  that  a  human  being  feels 
like  the  hundredth  part  of  an  atom  of  matter  in  this 
wondrous  world  of  stone.  I  do  not  believe  an 
atheist  could  go  through  this  country  without 
believing  in  the  existence  of  a  God.  We  are  deeply 
impressed  by  all  these  natural  wonders,  and  believe 
we  see  daily  evidences  of  the  rounding  and  mould- 
ing, in  these  volcanic  masses,  of  the  great  ice  covers, 
of  the  earth  of  many  centuries  ago.  The  work  of 
the  ice  artist  is  visible  in  isolated  boulders,  for  how 
else  could  all  these  wondrous  rocks  come  to  be,  in 
such  prairie  places  as  we  find  them,  if  they  were  not 
carried  to  their  resting  places  by  the  glaciers.  One 
can  see  the  water  marks,  the  great  ridges  formed  by 
the  cutting  ice,  and  it  must  be  deeply  interesting  ta 
one  well  grounded  in  scientific  lore. 

THURSDAY,  MAY  2 1  ST. 

A  BOUT  six  o'clock  this  morning,  our  room  being- 
dark,  I  jumped  up  to  find  out  what  time  it 
was,  and  to  look  out  of  the  window  to  see  what  signs 
we  had  for  the  day.  Everything  was  enveloped  in 
mist,  and  rain  was  still  falling.  I  went  to  sleep 
again,  feeling  we  were  in  for  a  rainy  day,  and  in  a 
measure  I  have  not  been  disappointed.  About 
eight  o'clock  a  most  beautiful  sight  awaited  us* 
The  mountains,  as  well  as  the  foot-hills,  were  (and 

29 


are  yet)  white  with  snow,  and  seemed  to  be  as  near 
as  our  balcony.  They  are  grand,  and  every  one 
says  it  is  a  most  unusual  sight  for  this  time  of  year. 
As  I  write  they  seem  close  to  us,  and  one  has  such 
a  feeling  of  chumminess  with  them.  It  snows  at  in- 
tervals, and  is  too  windy  to  venture  out  to-day. 

FRIDAY,   MAY  22ND. 

p)REAKFAST  about  nine  o'clock  as  usual,  and  a 
mean-looking  cloudy  morning  greeted  us  too. 
**  We're  in  for  another  day  in  the  house,"  Jamie 
exclaimed ;  but  as  it  did  not  rain  after  breakfast,  we 
went  for  a  good  walk.  Toward  noon  it  cleared,  and 
after  lunch,  Jamie  and  I  took  a  most  lovely  drive  to 
North  and  South  Cheyenne  Cafton.  We  drove 
across  the  plains  for  a  long  distance,  and  then  right 
up  between  two  magnificent  mountains,  and  as  it 
was  brilliantly  clear,  and  the  peaks  were  all  snow- 
covered,  it  was  a  most  interesting  drive. 

North  Cheyenne  Cafton  is  a  very  narrow  gorge 
between  two  great  grand  mountains.  The  road 
winds  up  beside  a  most  beautiful  babbling  brook, 
twisting  and  turning  at  sharp  angles,  and  constantly 
surprising  one  by  new  and  unusually  picturesque 
views.  We  saw  here  formations  of  rocks  we  had 
never  seen  before.  Very  different  they  were  from 
the  wonders  in  the  **  Gardens  of  the  Gods,"  and  yet 
only  five  miles  apart,  and  James  and  I  were  deeply 
impressed  by  their  grandeur.  They  assume  more 
castle   effects  than   individual   forms,  and   are  like 

30 


great  fortresses  on  the  hill  summits,  some  having 
magnificent  turrets  and  watch-towers,  and  presenting 
the  most  amazing  variety  in  architecture.  These 
huge  piles  of  stones  are  like  plum-puddings  hard- 
ened into  shapes,  that  is,  they  are  full  of  little  and 
big  stones,  cemented  together  by  a  substance  like 
batter,  and  hardened  and  shaped  into  serrated  forms, 
and  of  course  this  form  and  deposit  points  most 
conclusively  to  the  glacial  period.  But  these  great 
ice  forces  were  artistic  in  their  manner  of  sprinkling 
the  earth  with  wondrous  formations,  for  no  artist 
could  have  done  such  marvelous  work  in  the  pictur- 
esque placing  of  these  masses  of  stone.  Some  tow- 
ered hundreds  of  feet  above  one's  head  in  great 
walls,  with  strata  formed  lengthwise,  sidewise, 
and  every  other  wise  ;  others  stood  like  colos- 
sal sentinels,  magnificent  and  majestic  in  their 
might.  We  were  spell-bound,  as  we  turned  sharp 
corners,  and  came  suddenly  upon  new  visions  of 
splendor. 

South  Cheyenne  Caflon  is  different  in  aspect  from 
North  Cheyenne  Caflon,  although  so  close  together 
in  the  mountains.  It  is  wilder,  and  has  more  solid 
walls  of  rock,  hundreds  of  feet  high,  but  fewer  iso- 
lated pinnacles.  Here  we  had  the  pleasure  of  ford- 
ing the  same  stream  four  times  each  way,  eight 
times  in  all,  and  it  was  real  exciting,  for  owing  to 
the  recent  rains  the  stream  was  full,  and  running 
with  great  force.  We  felt  some  alarm  at  the  first 
ford,  but  at  the  second  we  began  to  enjoy  it,  and  to 

31 


watch  with  interest  the  hub  of  the  wheels  disappear 
under  the  water. 

SATURDAY,   MAY  23 RD. 

/^WING  to  the  extreme  cold  last  night,  we  did 
^"^  not  open  our  window,  but  trusted  to  the 
ventilator  to  air  the  room.  About  five  o'clock  this 
morning,  I  awoke  nearly  suffocated,  and  Jamie  hear- 
ing my  groans,  arose  to  open  the  window.  *'  Come 
here  quickly,  May,  and  see  a  beautiful  sight,"  and  I 
hurried  with  all  the  energy  I  could  demand  at  that 
early  hour,  and  joined  my  white-robed  spouse  at  the 
window.  It  was  a  beautiful  sight ;  all  the  valley 
lay  in  shadow,  the  foot-hills  were  nearly  black,  and 
only  a  tiny  gas-light  in  one  cottage  near  showed 
any  signs  of  life.  Pike's  Peak,  however,  and  the 
high  mountains  near,  were  silver,  then  golden,  as 
the  rising  sun  touched  them  with  glory,  and  made 
them  stand  out  alone,  above  all  the  dim  shadow  ia 
the  valley,  and  all  I  could  think  of  was  the  glory  of 
Heaven  itself,  kissing  the  mountain  peaks  with  a 
morning  blessing.  If  an  angel  had  hovered  in  mid- 
air,  it  would  have  seemed  in  keeping  with  that  silent 
grandeur.  I  felt  over-powered  and  crept  back  to 
bed,  very  glad  to  have  the  opportunity  to  close  my 
eyes  and  keep  that  picture  with  me  for  a  little  while ; 
Jamie,  on  the  contrary,  went  flying  about  the  room, 
vowing  he  was  "  wide-awake  and  rested.  I  never  felt 
better  in  my  life.  May ;  Colorado  air  does  agree  with 
me,"  etc.     As  I  failed   soon   to  audibly  appreciate 

32 


these  comments,  Mr.  J.  W,  H.  jumped  into  bed 
again,  wishing  "  it  was  time  to  get  up."  He  soon 
showed  signs  of  sonorous  breathing,  while  I  lay 
quietly  wondering  the  why  and  wherefore  of  certain 
things  in  nature. 

We  woke  again  at  eight,  to  find  a  most  exquisite 
day  before  us,  and  we  at  once  decided  that  a  morn- 
ing drive  would  be  just  the  thing,  but  as  we  could 
not  get  our  favorite  driver,  we  fortunately  postponed 
it  until  the  afternoon.  We  drove  five  miles  over 
the  "  Mesa,"  which  means  a  **  Spanish  Plateau,"  and 
a  fine  view  was  obtained  of  the  country  in  every 
direction, — the  mountains  on  the  left  and  hundreds 
of  miles  of  rolling  prairie  on  our  right,  made  a 
beautiful  picture.  We  drove  to  "  Glen  Eyrie,"  the 
residence  of  General  Palmer,  built  in  a  cafton,  with 
a  natural  fortification,  as  impregnable  as  a  fortress. 
It  is  surrounded  by  beautiful  scenery,  and  although 
a  fine  residence,  it  must  be  too  shut  in  to  be  inspir- 
ing and  always  attractive.  We  took  some  photo- 
graphs there,  which  we  have  since  been  told  was 
strictly  prohibited,  but  "  where  ignorance  is  bliss," 
etc.  We  have  the  photographs,  and  they  have  the 
law. 

We  then  thought  a  sunshiny  view  of  the  "  Garden 
of  the  Gods  "  would  pay  us  for  a  second  visit,  so  we 
drove  there,  and  just  before  entering  at  the  great 
red  gates,  we  saw  a  dozen  or  more  little  children 
coming  towards  us  on  burros,  or  as  they  call  them 
here,  "  Rocky  Mountain  Canaries."    I  stood  up  with 

33 


my  camera,  they  clustered  round  us,  and  were  much 
excited  over  having  their  pictures  taken. 

The  "  Garden  of  the  Gods  "  interested  us  anew, 
and  at  the  "  Balanced  Rock  "  Jamie  and  I  left  the 
carriage,  and  I  climbed  up  on  the  rocks  to  take  a 
photograph  of  James  and  the  big  rock.  The  sun 
went  under  a  cloud  just  then,  and  while  I  waited 
for  it  to  peep  out  again,  along  came  a  carriage  with 
a  lady  and  gentleman  in  it.  They  stopped,  and  as 
the  lady  jumped  out  the  man  shouted  to  me, 
"  there's  a  party  who  would  like  to  have  her  picture 
taken  too."  From  my  rocky  elevation  I  accepted 
the  proposition,  and  the  lady  went  and  stood  as 
cosily  as  you  please  next  to  Jamie.  Either  James 
was  not  entertaining  enough,  or  she  grew  tired  of 
waiting  for  the  sun  to  shine,  for  she  suddenly  deci- 
ded not  to  tarry  longer,  and  away  she  went. 

James  went  this  evening  with  our  good  friends, 
Mr.  F.  and  Mr.  R.,  to  the  "  El  Paso  Club,"  the  free- 
dom and  courtesies  of  the  club  having  been  extended 
to  him  for  two  weeks.  They  treated  him  royally^ 
and  did  all  they  could  to  tempt  him  to  remain 
longer  in  Colorado  Springs. 

I  spent  a  delightful  evening  with  Mrs.  R.,  a  most 
intellectual,  charming  woman,  and  her  experiences 
were  most  entertaining  to  hear,  as  she  had  lived  in 
many  strange  countries,  and  at  one  time  in  Brazil, 
by  invitation  from  the  Emperor  to  her  husband* 
Her  son,  a  lad  of  thirteen,  has  become  a  special 
friend  of  ours,  and  is  so  clever  and  bright  and  com- 

34 


^ 


panionable.  He  has  a  fine  face,  a  broad  intellectual 
forehead,  and  a  large  expressive  nose.  My  theory 
is,  that  people  with  big  noses  always  amount  to 
something  intellectually.  They  are  not  great  be- 
cause their  noses  are  big,  but  their  noses  are  big 
because  they  are  great.  Is  that  a  distinction  with- 
out a  difference  ? 

To-day,  as  we  drove  to  the  hotel  in  the  sunshine, 
over  the  entire  road  arched  a  most  beautiful  rain- 
bow. It  was  raining  out  on  the  praries,  and  we  had 
the  beauty  without  the  clouds. 

SUNDAY,   MAY  24TH. 

JAMIE  says  Colorado  Springs  agrees  with  his  body 
and  his  conscience  as  well,  and  he  wanted  to  go 
to  church  this  morning,  which  we  did.  We  had  a 
good  walk  to  and  from  the  church.  We  did  not 
know  which  church  to  attend,  as  the  Presbyterian, 
Baptist,  Methodist,  and  all,  seemed  flourishing  and 
attractive  outwardly,  but  we  finally  decided  on  the 
Congregational  Church.  The  minister.  Dr.  Gregg, 
formerly  of  Hartford,  preached  a  sermon  exactly 
suited  to  our  needs.  It  was  on  the  **  Religious  Life 
in  the  Church  and  in  the  Home,"  and  was  excellent. 
In  this  hotel,  there  is  the  funniest  porter  we  have 
ever  seen.  He  is  a  great,  big,  good-natured  colored 
man,  and  has  a  most  original  way  of  announcing 
the  departure  of  trains  east  and  west.  His  voice 
has  most  remarkable  acoustic  properties,  and  rever- 
berates all  over  the  house.     As  our  room  is  directly 

35 


over  the  office,  we  are  amused  a  dozen  or  more  times 
a  day,  by  this  peculiar  musical  chant.  The  stage 
rolls  up  to  the  door,  and  simultaneously  rings  out : 


p 


^^ 


Rio  Grande  North    to  Den 

j        Fi 
1  St.  Jo< 


"  Chicago,  Rockland 
and  Illinois. 


First  stop,        I 
"oe,  Missouri,  f 


All  aboard ! 

All  aboard!' 


MONDAY,   MAY  25TH. 

T7  ARLY  this  morning,  before  five  o'clock,  I  was 
up  to  take  a  survey  of  the  weather,  to  see  if 
we  could  hope  to  leave  Colorado  Springs,  and  begin 
our  long  journey  *'  across  country."  It  was  pouring, 
with  an  evident  determination  to  keep  it  up  all  day, 
and  I  awoke  James,  and  prepared  his  mind  for  an- 
other delay.  After  a  late  breakfast,  James  donned 
his  mackintosh,  and  armed  with  an  umbrella  walked 
about  the  town,  and  seemed  happy  and  resigned. 
We  lunched  by  invitation  with  "  The  Bachelors  " 
to-day.  Eight  fellows  from  the  East  live  together 
at  "  The  Antlers,"  and  we  were  finely  entertained  by 
them.  They  all  had  taken  James  and  me  for  bride 
and  groom, — the  third  time  so  far  on  this  trip! 
This  evening  we  spent  by  invitation  with  Mrs.  R. 
again. 


TUESDAY,   MAY   26tH. 

Jamie  hopped  up  about  five  o'clock  this  morning, 
to  have  a  peep  at  the  weather.  Pike's  Peak  stood 
out  clear  and  bright,  flooded  with  sunshine,  and  the 
entire  Dutch  army  could  have  been  clothed  in  the 
light  ethereal  blue.  We  soon  began  to  make  ready 
for  our  start,  but  before  eight  o'clock  it  had  clouded 
over  again,  and  seemed  as  unpromising  as  ever. 
Out  of  the  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  days  of 
the  year,  sunshine  has  usually  blessed  Colorado 
Springs  for  three  hundred  and  twenty-six  days,  and 
'*  the  oldest  inhabitant "  has  never  known  such  an 
'^uncertain  May." 

As  Jamie  was  restless,  we  determined  to  start  at 
11.55  ■^-  M-  fo^  ^^^  West,  which  proved  a  wise 
decision,  and  we  have  blessed  our  guiding  star  ever 
since,  for  we  could  not  have  had  a  lovelier  time,  or 
have  met  a  jollier  party.  Our  friends  came  to  the 
train  to  see  us  off,  and  we  left  Colorado  Springs, 
with  many  kind  wishes  expressed  for  our  trip. 

At  Colorado  Springs,  two  couples  besides  our- 
selves boarded  the  train,  and  were  all  consigned  to 
sections  in  the  same  car.  In  the  car  was  a  fellow 
who  attracted  James  at  once,  he  reminded  us  so 
forcibly  of  our  good  friend  W.  B. ;  and  these  two 
couples,  this  young  gentlemen,  and  James  and  I, 
were  all  crowded  together  on  the  rear  platform  of 
the  train,  and  were  soon  friends,  and  we  all  kept  to- 
gether for  several  days,  and  had  a  royally  good  time. 

37 


The  first  interesting  place  we  saw  after  leaving 
Colorado  Springs,  was  Pueblo.  We  had  dinner 
here,  in  the  Railroad  Hotel,  and  we  thought  it  poor 
enough,  but  later  learned  to  know  it  was  a  fine 
repast.  We  then  passed  through  a  most  uninterest- 
ing country,  with  nothing  but  great  mountains  of 
gray  stone,  covered  half-way  with  sand,  gray  sand, 
reddish  sand,  and  straw-colored  sand,  and  presented 
all  kinds  of  fantastic  shapes.  At  first  we  were  in- 
terested, it  was  so  different  from  all  that  we  had 
seen  before,  but  after  several  hours  of  it  we  grew 
unutterably  weary.  Some  of  these  formations  inter- 
ested us  in  one  particular ;  the  rocks  were  in  great 
strata,  and  in  different  colors, — copper,  iron  and 
sandstone,  and  formed  some  wondrous  effects.  But 
this  region  was  so  barren,  nothing  grew  on  the  hill- 
sides, not  even  sage  brush,  and  the  valleys  were 
forsaken  and  doleful.  Once  in  awhile  a  cabin  would 
be  visible,  and  a  few  weak  lonely  horses  or  cows, 
but  all  seemed  in  keeping  with  the  dire  surround- 
ings, and  the  poor  animals  looked  as  if  they  had 
been  fed  on  stones. 

About  half-past  three  this  afternoon,  a  general 
stir  among  the  passengers  was  a  sign  that  we  were 
approaching  something  of  interest,  and  we  all 
gathered  on  the  back  platform  (where  we  sat  most 
of  the  time  for  the  next  three  days),  and  saw  the 
"  Royal  Gorge  "  as  we  passed  through.  It  passeth 
knowledge  how  man  ever  overcame  such  obstacles 
in   nature,  as  were  presented  to  us  in  this   royally 

38 


*'  Royal  Gorge.*'  A  stream  on  one  side  of  the 
track,  rushing  and  hurrying  along,  with  a  great  wall 
of  solid  rock  rising  hundreds  of  feet,  nay  thousands 
of  feet,  straight  up  into  heaven  on  each  side  of  us. 
They  say  the  rocks  rise  three  thousand  feet  on  each 
side  of  the  track.  It  is  like  a  miracle  to  pass  through 
that  gorge.  It  seemed  unearthly,  as  we  twisted 
and  whirled  around  the  sharp  and  narrow  curves, 
and  looked  up  so  far,  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  God's 
heaven.  At  first  we  were  filled  with  wonder,  at  the 
marvelous  engineering  skill  and  genius,  that  had 
planned  and  executed  so  gigantic  an  undertaking ; 
then  an  awe  and  silence  stole  over  us,  as  we  stood 
face  to  face  with  such  wonders  of  God's  creation. 
The  summits  of  these  walls  of  rock  were  pointed, 
rounded,  in  squares,  turrets  and  spires,  and  the 
change  in  the  color  of  these  great  expanses  of  stone 
presented  prismatic  tints,  which  no  brush  could 
imitate.  Fiery  red,  terra-cotta,  blue,  then  almost 
white,  would  appear  in  waves  of  color,  and  not  one 
tiny  bush  or  shrub  to  break  the  great  breadth  of 
rocks.  It  was  a  magnificent  trip  through  that  gorge, 
and  one  never  to  be  forgotten.  My  words  seem  so 
poor  in  describing  this  grandeur. 

We  hurried  along  after  leaving  the  Royal  Gorge, 
through  a  very  beautiful  and  fertile  valley,  and  were 
rejoiced  to  see  grander  snow  mountains  on  our  left 
than  we  had  seen  before.  We  were  nearing  Salida, 
and  were  steadily  going  higher  and  higher,  as  the 
altitude  of  Salida  is  seven  thousand  and  fifty  feet. 

39 


We  reached  there  at  5.35  P.  M.,  and  found  it  a  very 
small  town,  formed  of  cheap  houses  and  homes,  a 
railroad  centre  merely.  They  told  us  the  hotel 
"  Monte  Christo  "  was  first-class.  It  is  over  the 
station,  and  a  noisier,  more  disagreeable  abode  is 
hard  to  imagine,  but  we  will  have  to  be  satisfied 
with  much  worse  before  we  reach  home,  I  fancy. 
As  soon  as  we  had  obtained  a  room  and  deposited 
our  traps,  James  and  I  started  out  to  see  the  town, 
and  take  a  few  photographs.  The  mountains  were 
magnificent.  Salida  is  situated  in  a  semi-circle  of 
great  mountains,  so  white  with  snow  as  to  be  almost 
too  dazzling  to  look  at.  We  were  spell-bound  with 
admiration. 

We  walked  up  the  main  street,  which  was  filled 
with  remarkably  smart  shops,  but  every  other  win- 
dow presented  whiskey  bottles;  in  other  words,  every 
other  store  was  a  saloon.  The  night  before  our 
arrival,  a  hotel  and  five  saloons  had  burned  down,  and 
the  ruins  were  still  smoking,  but  it  was  no  loss  to 
the  little  town.  We  hurried  back  to  the  supper- 
table,  then  took  another  walk  with  our  friends. 

WEDNESDAY,  MAY  27TH. 

^X  rE  had  a  wretched  night,  and  longed  for  day- 
light.  Long  before  five  o'clock,  we  were  too 
nervous  with  the  noise  of  the  trains  to  stand  it 
longer,  so  we  were  up  and  out,  and  what  a  pleasure 
awaited  us !  The  sun  had  touched  all  the  hills  and 
mountains,  the  snow  looked  like  gold,  and  as  we 

40 


stood  watching  and  wondering,  we  counted  twenty- 
five  great  snow  monarchs,  so  beautiful  and  inspiring 
they  were,  and  reminded  us  in  shape  of  the  ele- 
phants at  Barnum's  circus,  as  they  have  stood  with 
their  backs  to  us,  only  they  were  snow  from  tip  to 
tail,  and  colossal. 

We  found  a  native  of  Salida  willing  to  talk  and 
give  us  information,  so  we  chatted  until  after  six 
with  him.  He  was  a  rude  specimen,  and  was  brought 
nine  months  before  to  Salida,  so  sick  with  consump- 
tion, he  nearly  died  on  the  way,  but  now  he  is  able 
to  work  on  the  railroads,  and  is  as  robust  and  well 
as  any  one.  He  told  us  that  they  seldom  had  real 
wintry  weather,  only  in  February,  March  and  April 
they  had  some  cold,  but  never  any  snow,  except  on 
the  mountains  which  caught  all,  and  kept  it  from 
falling  into  the  valley.  Colorado  is  a  wonderful 
State,  the  scenery  is  grand  beyond  words,  the  cli- 
mate is  a  blessing  to  scores  and  scores  of  invalids, 
and  its  mineral  and  mining  products  are  rich  beyond 
question,  and  make  millionaires  of  many  men.  Oh^ 
that  we  knew  **  the  receipt  for  that  popular  mys- 
tery ! "  Colorado  interested  us  so  much  and  made 
Jamie  so  wonderfully  better,  that  we  think  if  he 
ever  feels  badly  again,  we  will  fly  to  Colorado 
Springs.  When  you  come  to  real  distance,  it  does 
not  seem  far  from  home. 

At  7  A.  M.,  in  a  queer,  narrow-guage  Pullman 
sleeper,  we  began  our  ride  for  the  day.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  H.,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  V.  G.,  Mr.  H.,  Mr.  F.,  James 

41 


and  myself,  took  possession  of  the  back  plat- 
form. Jamie  sat  in  the  middle,  right  down  on  the 
platform,  with  his  feet  hanging  over  and  resting  on 
the  coupling.  Mr.  H.  sat  on  one  step,  Mr.  F.  on 
the  other,  Mrs.  H.,  Mrs.  V.  G.  and  I  on  stools  in 
between,  and  Mr.  H.  standing  back  of  us,  and  in 
this  fashion  we  went  through  or  over  the  "  Marshall 
Pass."  How  can  I  describe  it !  We  began  our  ride, 
going  through  a  most  beautiful  caflon,  the  rocks 
rising  so  far  above  us  on  each  side,  and  the  trees, 
grasses  and  shrubs  being  really  beautiful.  As  we 
sat  there,  little  dreaming  what  was  before  us,  some 
one  looked  up  the  hillside  and  said,  "  Why  there's 
another  railroad  right  up  above  us."  Perhaps  we're 
going  up  to  that,"  answered  another.  "  Impossible," 
ejaculated  a  third.  Pretty  soon  around  a  most 
beautiful  horseshoe  curve  we  turned,  and  Jamie 
exclaimed,  **  By  Jove  !  we  are  going  just  where 
we  thought  we  could  not."  Then  our  calm- 
ness vanished,  and  we  began  to  watch  and 
to  wait  for  more  glimpses  of  road  and  rail,  and 
were  in  Wonderland  before  we  knew  it.  Creeping 
like  a  snake  up  the  side  of  the  mountain,  we  would 
look  ahead,  and  see  a  cutting  through  the  rocks, 
outlined  against  the  sky,  and  soon  we  would  pass 
through  that  very  opening.  We  ascended  so  slowly, 
so  steadily,  winding  and  twisting,  turning  almost  at 
right  angles  sometimes,  crossing  trestles  and 
bridges,  through  which  we  could  look  from  our  back 
seats  and  see  hundreds  of  feet  down.     Gradually 

42 


all  signs  of  vegetation  began  to  cease,  trees  became 
scarce,  except  the  poor,  tired  evergreens,  some  look- 
ing too  tired  to  live,  others  as  if  they  had  died  an 
awful  death.  We  began  to  get  into  the  snow- 
regions  and  to  feel  so  familiar  with  the  snow-capped 
mountains.  Such  views  as  were  ours,  for  as  we 
looked  in  every  direction,  we  could  see  such  wonder- 
ful scenes,  valleys,  mountains,  white  and  black, 
villages  nestled  in  the  valleys,  and  we  absolutely 
grew  silent  in  admiration.  Great  snow-drifts  began 
to  surround  us,  snow-sheds  began  to  bother  us  too, 
but  these  were  short  and  we  were  soon  through 
them.  At  last,  as  we  neared  the  summit,  10,852 
feet  in  altitude,  we  went  into  the  clouds,  and  were 
surrounded  by  such  a  damp  vapor,  just  like  fog. 
We  could  see  the  clouds  as  we  approached  and  went 
into  them.  The  summit  was  reached  at  a  quarter 
past  nine,  and  then  we  rested  there  a  little,  while 
the  brakes  were  carefully  examined  to  see  if  all  was 
safe  for  our  ride  down  hill.  While  at  the  top,  and 
in  the  snow-shed,  we  were  nearly  frozen — our  hands 
and  feet  tingled,  and  we  had  to  stamp  about  to  keep 
warm.  We  had  much  merriment,  snowballing  each 
other,  for  we  happened  to  stop  right  beside  a  snow 
mound,  and  had  quite  a  jolly  time.  Mr.  F.  had  not 
seen  snow  for  ten  years,  living  as  he  does  in  Galves- 
ton, and  he  was  quite  funny  as  he  frisked  about  in 
his  linen  duster,  making  snow  balls.  It  grew  so 
cold  during  our  downward  journey,  that  we  spent 
the  rest  of  the  morning  inside  the  little  car. 

43 


At  Gunnison,  at  half-past  eleven  o'clock,  we  had 
dinner,  and  how  hungry  we  were  !  After  leaving  Gun- 
nison, we  were  told  that  at  the  next  station,  Sapinero, 
an  observation  car  would  be  attached  to  the  train> 
to  take  us  through  the  Black  Cafion,  and  we  all 
gathered  in  the  top-less  car,  with  plain  board  seats. 
We  then  had  fifteen  miles  of  such  magnificence, 
that  Jamie  and  I  are  powerless  to  express  our  im- 
pressions of  it.  The  Royal  Gorge  was  grander, 
more  colossal  and  majestic  than  the  Black  Cafion, 
because  its  walls  of  rock  were  in  great  vast  masses ; 
but  the  Black  Cafion  was  to  us  more  impressive^ 
although  much  narrower,  and  the  rocks  stood  in 
great  solitary  piles,  forming  cathedrals,  castles  and 
needles,  while  beautiful  waterfalls  seemed  to  tumble 
down  from  the  very  skies  themselves.  The  rocks  at 
times  entirely  surrounded  us,  and  as  I  looked  ahead 
at  the  little  puffing  locomotive,  as  it  skipped  along, 
now  over  a  bridge,  and  then  as  if  right  against  the 
solid  rock,  I  exclaimed,  "  Surely,  there  is  no  way  of 
escape  for  us,  we  are  rock-bound  in  reality." 

We  were  creeping  along  the  bank  of  the  merry 
little  river  Gunnison,  which  added  greatly  to  the 
beauty  of  the  scene,  with  its  rapids  and  pretty  falls. 
We  wanted  eyes  on  all  sides  of  our  heads  for  that 
lovely  wonderful  trip.  As  we  finally  crept  out  of 
the  cafion  into  the  fields  and  country  again,  they 
appeared  tame  and  commonplace,  in  contrast  to  the 
beauty  of  tfie  rock  and  rill  which  we  had  just 
left. 

44 


We  stopped  at  a  little  village  called  Cimarron, 
where  Mr.  F.  had  to  leave  us,  much  to  our  re- 
gret. 

After  leaving  Cimarron,  we  settled  ourselves  on 
the  back  platform  of  the  car,  little  dreaming  of  the 
beautiful  afternoon  trip  we  had  before  us.  Every- 
body had  spoken  enthusiastically  of  Marshall  Pass 
and  Black  Cafion,  but  no  one  had  said  a  word  about 
the  country  further  on.  With  two  engines  again, 
we  began  to  climb  another  steep  mountain,  going 
around  curves  by  the  dozen,  each  of  which  rivaled, 
in  beauty  and  wonder  of  engineering  skill,  the 
famous  horseshoe  curve  in  Pennsylvania.  It  was 
amost  as  fine  a  pass  as  the  Marshall,  and  wonder- 
fully rich  in  scenery  and  grand  effects,  and  we  were 
much  impressed  by  it.  The  descent  was  especially 
beautiful,  as  we  came  down  into  a  most  fertile  val- 
ley, the  hills  about  were  covered  with  rare  and  deli- 
cate wild  flowers.  Pink  tinted  the  hillsides  for  miles, 
then  yellow  and  white  would  alternate,  and  great 
bushes  and  shrubs  of  color  would  add  their  beauty 
to  the  scene.  Suddenly  the  lovely  valley  was 
left  behind,  and  we  hurried  along  through  a  dry  and 
parched  country,  so  sandy  and  gloomy  that  only 
sage-brush  was  visible,  with  now  and  then  a  little 
courageous  daisy  or  blue-bell,  to  relieve  the  monot- 
ony, and  cheer  the  weary  traveller. 

Right  in  this  glaring  sand  desert,  our  train  was 
side-tracked,  to  let  a  train  to  the  East  pass,  and  we 
had  several  minutes  to  wander  about.    What  a  God- 

45 


forsaken  country  it  was,  so  parched  and  dry  for 
want  of  water. 

Montrose  was  reached  soon,  and  there  the  won- 
derful circle  of  mountains,  which  surround  Ouray 
and  Silverton,  appeared  most  majestic  and  grand. 
From  Montrose  to  Grand  Junction  was  a  pretty  trip. 
The  country  was  full  of  fine  and  flourishing  ranches, 
and  cows,  horses  and  sheep  all  seemed  to  prosper 
and  to  enjoy  life.  The  ranches  did  not  look  over- 
attractive  to  me,  but  they  were  strikingly  beautiful 
in  contrast  to  those  we  had  viewed  before. 

We  arrived  at  Grand  Junction,  at  a  quarter  past 
seven  o'clock,  and  although  we  had  been  informed 
that  Grand  Junction  and  the  hotel  were  worse  than 
Salida,  we  were  so  tired  we  almost  did  not  mind  the 
unwelcome  anticipation.  So  many  people  left  the 
train  at  the  depot,  that  Mr.  H.  hurried  off  and 
reached  the  "  Brunswick  '*  ahead  of  all  travellers* 
Our  names  were  first  on  the  list,  and  in  consequence 
we  had  the  best  rooms  in  the  hotel,  which  was  not 
saying  much  after  all.  Mr.  H.  told  the  clerk  that 
we  were  bride  and  groom,  and  that  he  was  best  man^ 
and  had  to  arrange  everything  for  us.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
H.  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  V.  G.  were  indignant,  because 
the  four  were  offered  one  room,  with  two  beds,  and 
the  clerk  was  much  surprised  when  they  would  not 
accept  such  an  arrangement. 

Our  little  party  had  our  dinner  together,  and 
imagine  our  consternation  when,  after  a  bowl  of 
soup,  our  empty  stomachs  were  asked  to  choose  be- 

46 


tween  **  mutton,  beef  and  brains  T*  So  the  waiter 
in  his  shirt-sleeves  recited  his  lesson.  After  dinner 
we  took  a  walk  to  see  this  little  one-horse  town, 
and  to  our  surprise,  we  found  it  was  quite  an  enter- 
prising little  place,  with  street  cars,  one  or  two  large 
fine  buildings,  and  some  good  stores.  A  very  rough 
set  of  men  were  on  the  streets,  and  lots  of  cow- 
boys. We  saw  a  fine-looking  cowboy,  as  handsome 
as  a  picture,  finely  dressed  in  his  buckskin  trousers, 
large  Mexican  sombrero,  and  elaborate  jacket,  all  of 
which  looked  so  new  and  shining.  His  face  was  a 
study  for  an  artist,  but  it  was  such  a  bad  face,  and 
I  wove  a  little  romance  at  once,  about  that  young 
boy,  and  I  imagined  the  sorrowing  mother  weeping 
over  her  handsome  wayward  son.  He  is  one  of 
many  wild  boys,  I  suppose,  who  are  sent  away  from 
home  "  to  sow  their  wild  oats." 


47 


SALT    LAKE    CITY    AND    THE 
MORMONS 


THURSDAY,  MAY  28TH. 

A  BOUT  four  o'clock  this  morning,  we  were  up,  and 
"^^  ready  in  a  half  hour  to  start  for  the  depot, 
breakfastless,  however.  Last  night,  Jamie  and  Mr.  H. 
ordered  as  fine  a  lunch  as  Grand  Junction  could  get 
up,  for  us  to  take  along,  and  have  for  an  early  break- 
fast. Imagine  our  dismay  and  emptiness,  when  we 
reached  the  train,  and  found  that  no  one  had  remem- 
bered to  bring  the  breakfast.  We  hired  a  man  to 
run  and  get  it,  but  our  train  cruelly  moved  out  of 
the  depot,  before  his  return.  To  steam  out  of  a 
station  at  4.40  A.  M.  and  leave  a  breakfast  behind,  is 
enough  to  spoil  the  temper  of  an  angel,  especially 
as  we  could  not  have  breakfast  until  we  reached 
Green  River,  at  half-past  eight  o'clock,  nearly  four 
hours  later.  Then,  to  add  to  our  discomfort,  no 
one  was  up  in  the  Pullman  Car,  and  we  had  to  crowd 
ourselves  into  a  seat  car,  riot  a  chair  car,  like  ours 
in  the  East,  but  a  car  with  seats,  and  narrow  at  that. 
How  James  and  Mr.  H.  were  *' raked  over  the 
coals,"  for  forgetting  that  breakfast. 

After  leaving  one  station,  we  missed  Mr.  V.  G., 
48 


and  no  one  knew  where  he  was.  We  were  begin- 
ning to  get  anxious,  when,  through  the  stillness  of 
the  car,  sounded  a  regular  war-whoop,  and  turning, 
we  saw  our  energetic  friend  coming  towards  us,  in 
great  glee,  with  his  right  hand  on  top,  and  his  left 
hand  under  a  great  pile  of  sandwiches.  The  bread 
was  in  inch-thick  slices,  and  seven  sandwiches  made 
a  pile,  never  to  be  forgotten  !  But  where  had  our 
friend  found  these  *' loaves  and  fishes?"  A  woman 
in  the  emigrant  car  had  heard  Mr.  V.  G.  sigh: 
"  My  kingdom  for  a  sandwich,"  and  had  volunteered 
to  make  what  was  needed  for  us,  from  her  little  stock 
of  provisions.  Oh,  that  some  one  had  given  that 
pile  a  little  poke  in  the  middle,  and  relieved  Mr.  V. 
G.*s  hands  of  the  pressure  between  !  But  he  was 
jubilant  and  merry,  and  so  happy  over  his  little  sur- 
prise, assuring  us  that  "  the  woman  was  so  nice  and 
clean,"  and  his  heart  was  nearly  broken  when  James, 
after  the  first  bite,  opened  the  window  and  threw 
his  sandwich  out.  Mr.  H.  slipped  out  on  the  plat- 
form, to  "  fully  enjoy  his'n"  ;  but  I — I  choked  mine 
down  to  the  last  crumb,  to  atone  for  the  short-com- 
ings of  the  two  boys.  When  we  reached  Green 
River,  we  nearly  embraced  each  other,  in  our  joy  at 
the  sight  of  food. 

Thursday,  May  28th  was  a  hard  day.  We  passed 
through  most  uninteresting  scenery,  across  prairies 
and  desert  lands,  so  dry  and  white  and  parched — 
across  one  big  mountain,  to  be  sure,  but  everything 
about  it  betokened  loneliness  and  gloom.     Even  the 

49 


names  of  the  stations  were  depressing — "  Solitude  *' 
was  one,  **Rest"  another.  We  had  to  wait  till 
nearly  three  o'clock  for  dinner,  which  we  had  at 
Provo. 

As  we  crossed  Utah,  and  approached  Salt  Lake 
City,  we  were  impressed  by  the  barrenness  and  dry 
parched  land  on  every  side.  Then  followed  such 
loveliness — fertile  ground,  beautiful  trees.  Lake 
Utah  added  to  the  scene,  and  the  circle  of  snow 
mountains  capped  the  climax.  The  snow  was  so 
purely  white,  and  ran  down  the  sides  of  the  moun- 
tains like  great  veins.  We  saw  to-day,  as  we  crossed 
the  country,  row  after  row  of  charcoal  pits, 
which  looked  like  great  white  bee-hives.  We  were 
also  much  interested  in  the  white-covered  wagons, 
crossing  the  prairies,  drawn  by  cows  and  oxen,  com- 
ing along  at  a  snail's  pace,  carrying  a  family  often- 
times, with  all  their  worldly  goods  and  possessions. 

Brigham  Junction  was  the  beginning  of  anything 
of  a  Mormon  flavor  in  our  journey.  We  reached 
Salt  Lake  City  at  half-past  four,  and  a  happier  set  of 
people  surely  have  never  arrived,  since  the  time  that 
Brigham  Young,  or  Joseph  Smith,  brought  their  fol- 
lowers over  Emigrant  Pass,  into  the  valley  of  the 
Salt  Sea. 

Soon  after  arriving  in  Salt  Lake,  we  were  comfort- 
ably located  at  the  *'  Hotel  Templeton,"  and  then 
James  hunted  all  over  the  town  for  flowers,  for  Mrs. 
V.  G.,  whose  second  wedding  anniversary  was  to- 
day.     No  flowers   are    grown   in  Salt   Lake  City, 

50 


none  can  be  had,  except  when  brought  from  a 
distance,  and  to  James'  regret,  he  had  to  return 
empty-handed. 

At  half-past  seven,  all  our  little  party  met  in  the 
parlor,  as  Mr.  V.  G.'s  guests,  to  dine  with  him,  as 
'*  his  anniversary  spree."  He  had  a  private  room, 
and  had  a  very  beautiful  dinner.  What  amused  us 
all  were  the  sudden  transformations,  in  each  and 
every  member  of  our  little  party.  We  had  been  for 
three  days  together,  in  travelling  clothes,  and,  it  was 
laughable  to  see  the  look  of  surprise  on  each  face, 
and  the  side  glance  of  scrutiny,  which  each  bestowed 
on  the  other,  when  we  thought  no  one  was  looking, 
as  we  appeared  dressed  in  our  best.  After  our  fine 
repast,  we  took  a  little  walk  about  the  city,  as  a  di- 
gester, then  separated  for  the  much-needed  rest. 

FRIDAY,   MAY  29TH. 

A  LITTLE  before  ten  o'clock,  James,  Mr.  H. 
"^^  and  I  met  at  breakfast,  in  the  sixth  story 
dining-room.  We  have  a  table,  in  a  corner  of  the 
room,  which  commands  a  most  fascinating  view  in 
every  direction.  Salt  Lake  City  is  surrounded  by 
snow  mountains,  which  never  fail  to  add  the  great- 
est possible  charm  to  every  view.  The  sunsets  sur- 
pass in  beauty  any  mountain  sunsets  we  have  ever 
seen.  The  mountains  fairly  glow  with  splendor, 
then  turn  a  vivid  violet,  then  almost  black,  while  the 
sky  retains  its  fire  and  glory,  and  mysteriously  casts 
everything  in  shadow. 

SI 


We  sallied  forth,  after  our  morning  meal,  to  pre~ 
sent  our  letter  of  introduction  to  Col.  W.,  the  Super- 
intendent of  the  "Zion  Mercantile  Co-operative 
Institution."  He  received  us  in  his  private  room, 
was  cordiality  itself,  and  has  done  much  for  our  en- 
joyment ever  since.  He  asked  if  we  would  like  to 
go  then  to  the  Tabernacle,  that  he  would  gladly  go 
with  us,  and  we  accepted  joyfully.  Before  going 
there,  we  went  to  see  Brigham  Young's  homes,  and 
saw  what  they  call  "The  Lion  House,"  where  his 
surviving  wives  now  live  together,  and  also  the 
"  Bee-Hive,"  where  his  family  lived.  Both  of  these 
places  we  see  daily,  from  our  room  in  the  hotel,  also 
the  new  Temple,  the  Tabernacle,  and  Assembly 
Hall. 

The  Tabernacle,  Temple,  and  Assembly  Hall  are 
in  one  large  enclosure,  surrounded  by  a  high  wall, 
with  gates  on  the  north  and  east.  On  Sundays- 
both  gates  are  open,  on  week  days  only  the  north 
gate.  We  found  an  entrance  into  the  Tabernacle^ 
by  one  of  a  multitude  of  doors,  and  were  soon 
inside  the  great  building,  which  is  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  long,  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
broad,  with  seating  capacity  for  eight  thousand, 
without  crowding,  for  ten  thousand  under  pressure, 
and  room  for  four  thousand  to  stand.  One  great 
arch  forms  the  roof,  without  pillar  or  support.  There 
is  not  an  angle  in  the  entire  building,  not  a  corner, 
to  echo  or  retard  sound,  and  the  acoustic  proper- 
ties of  the  vast  building  are  marvelous.     At   the 


request  of  our  friend,  we  walked  to  the  farthest 
part  of  the  gallery,  and  stood  a  few  minutes.  A 
man,  near  the  pulpit,  took  a  little  white  pin,  and 
holding  it  not  more  than  two  inches  above  the  rail- 
ing, about  the  pulpit,  let  it  drop.  We  could  hear  it 
•distinctly.  He  then  rubbed  his  hands  together 
slowly,  as  one  does  without  apparent  noise,  and  it 
was  distinctly  audible  where  we  stood,  two  hundred 
feet  away.  To  our  great  delight,  Col.  W.  told  us 
that  the  organist  happened  fortunately  to  be  in  the 
building,  and  would  be  glad  to  play  for  us."  Joy 
unspeakable !  The  organ  is  the  largest  in  this 
-country,  and  was  built  of  Utah  timber,  and  by  native 
talent.  It  is  a  wonder,  such  sweetness  of  tone  and 
richness  of  quality,  such  great  power  and  strength. 
We  sat  in  the  gallery,  and  listened  to  a  most  beauti- 
ful organ  recital.  I  always  shiver  when  music  pleases 
me,  but  I  had  genuine  fever  and  ague  then,  and 
shook  like  a  leaf.  After  leaving  the  tabernacle,  we 
visited  the  Deseret  Museum,  a  place  of  much  inter- 
est and  many  curios. 

Salt  Lake  City  is  situated  twenty  miles  from  the 
great  Salt  Lake,  and  after  luncheon,  our  Httle  party 
went  to  Garfield  Beach,  which  is  on  the  lake.  After 
a  forty-minutes'  trip  by  rail,  we  reached  the  lake,  a 
vast  body  of  water,  with  mountains  all  about  it.  It 
is  a  wonderful  place,  so  barren  and  dreary,  for  no 
trees  or  vegetation  grow  near  its  shores ;  they  can- 
not live  there,  it  is  so  salt.  No  birds  or  insects  can 
live  near  it,  not  one  living  thing  is  in  its  water,  save 

S3 


the  smallest  little  black  bug,  about  the  size  of  a  pin- 
head,  so  small  one  can  hardly  see  it.  Great  rocks 
pile  high  on  the  shore,  and  the  waves  dash  over 
them,  leaving  a  white  coating  of  salt. 

"  Garfield  Beach"  is  composed  of  a  pavilion,  bath- 
ing-houses, and  a  lunch  stand.  There  is  excellent 
bathing,  and  they  say  it  is  remarkable,  and  every 
one  is  sorry  that  we  did  not  try  it,  for  the  water 
buoys  one  up,  and  no  one  can  sink.  In  splashing 
over  the  face,  it  leaves  white  spots  of  salt,  which  one 
must  rub  off.  The  water  is  one-fifth  salt,  and  we 
took  some  up  in  our  hands  to  taste,  and  found  it 
decidedly  briny. 

After  returning  to  the  hotel,  we  received  a  call 
from  Mr.  J.,  a  gentleman  to  whom  James  had  a 
letter  of  introduction,  but  which  we  had  not  yet 
an  opportunity  to  present.  He  heard  from  Col.  W. 
of  our  arrival,  and — true  Mormon  hospitality — he 
had  called  at  once.  We  also  found,  on  our  return, 
beautiful  roses  from  Col.  W.  and  a  book  of  poems, 
of  which  he  had  spoken  in  the  morning.  We  had 
a  most  interesting  conversation  on  the  Mormon 
religion,  for  he  is  a  strict  Mormon,  as  is  also  our 
other  friend,  Mr.  J.  There  is  so  much  to  tell,  that 
I  must  take  it  in  order,  in  a  section  all  by  itself. 

SATURDAV,   MAY  30TH. 

T7XQUISITE  weather,— such  lovely  air,  sky  and 

views  beggar  description.     At  eleven  o'clock, 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  came  in  a   handsome  cart,  with  a 

54 


beautiful  pair  of  horses,  to  take  us  to  drive.  We 
had  a  lovely  drive.  We  went  all  over  the  city,  and 
out  to  the  garrison,  at  Fort  Douglass.  We  reached 
there  just  as  the  soldiers,  and  their  fine  band,  were 
returning  from  the  cemetery, — it  being  Decoration 
Day,  and  it  was  a  beautiful  sight,  for,  of  course, 
crowds  of  carriages  followed  them.  The  garrison  is 
composed  of  young  officers,  graduates, — only  three 
are  married,  and  they  are  there  with  their  brides. 
It  is  lovely  and  very  gay  there. 

Salt  Lake  City  is  wonderful  in  some  respects. 
When  one  knows  that  the  entire  valley  and  foot- 
hills, on  which  it  is  situated,  were  once  barren, 
parched  prairie  land,  with  nothing  but  scrub-oak,  to 
relieve  the  glaring  sandy  soil,  and  then  sees  the 
beautiful  city,  with  magnificent  streets,  and  hun- 
dreds and  hundreds  of  fine  shade  trees,  it  is  a  won- 
der, and  cannot  but  provoke  admiration.  The  early 
settlers  came  across  the  country  in  wagons,  drawn 
often  by  cows,  and  were  three  or  four  months  in 
coming.  When  this  site  was  chosen  for  a  settle- 
ment, the  families  of  these  people  had  to  live,  for 
months,  in  these  miserable  wagons,  until  the  men 
could  bring  timber  from  the  mountains,  and  build 
their  houses.  The  land  had  to  be  irrigated,  that  it 
might  become  fertile  and  bear  crops,  and  so  much 
labor  had  to  be  expended  to  make  this  barren  plain 
habitable.  Trees  had  to  be  planted  regularly,  every 
man  and  boy  turning  out,  one  day  in  the  year,  to 
plant  them.     It  was  not  safe,  in  those  days,  for  men 

55 


to  go  alone  into  the  cafions  for  timber,  on  account 
of  the  many  wild  beasts,  but  they  would  go  in  com- 
panies, and  in  this  way,  little  by  little,  the  streets 
were  planted  on  each  side  with  trees,  that  have 
grown  wonderfully  fast,  and  formed  such  beautiful 
arches  of  grateful  shade.  The  box-elder  is  a  favor- 
ite tree,  but  the  poplar  is  magnificent  in  its  growth. 
As  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  in  every  direction,  these 
straight  slim  trees  are  visible,  standing  in  regular 
rows,  like  a  company  of  a  regiment  out  on  drill. 
Their  foliage  is  darker  than  the  other  umbrageous 
trees,  and  consequently  forms  a  fine  contrast  in  light 
and  shade.  They  delighted  us,  these  straight-laced 
poplars,  although  they  seem  chary  of  their  shade, 
and  fairly  hug  themselves,  with  their  leaves  and 
branches. 

The  streets  of  Salt  Lake  City  are  one  hundred 
and  thirty  feet  broad,  and  the  houses  and  homes 
are,  many  of  them,  as  handsome  as  we  can  find  in 
our  largest  cities.  The  blocks  are  very  long,  and 
when  the  city  was  laid  out  originally,  there  were 
eight  blocks  to  a  mile.  But  people  speak  of  these 
blocks,  not  as  so  many  feet,  but  as  so  many  rods. 
Our  friend  Mr.  J.'s  house  is  on  one  of  the  finest 
streets,  yet  within  one  block  of  a  cafton,  so  one  can 
imagine  how  near  the  mountains  are,  all  about  the 
city.  From  our  window,  we  looked  upon  finely 
rounded  green  mountains,  outlined  against  the  sky, 
covered  with  brush,  but  not  a  tree  to  be  seen. 

This  morning  I  asked  the  maid,  why  she  had  not 

56 


brushed  the  things  I  had  asked  her  to  do  the  night 
before  ?  *'  Well,"  she  answered,  "  Vm  taking  banjo 
lessons,  and  my  teacher  came  last  night,  and  I  could 
not  very  well  be  excused."  This  gives  a  suggestion 
of  the  sort  of  maid-servants  to  be  had  in  Salt  Lake 
City. 

SUNDAY,  MAY  3 1  ST. 

np 0-DAY  has  been  such  a  bright,  beautiful  Sun- 
day, but  the  sunshine  seemed  ten  times 
stronger  than  in  our  eastern  cities,  and  the  glare  of 
the  sun,  on  the  white  sandy  soil,  is  very  trying  in 
Salt  Lake  City. 

James  and  I  had  our  breakfast  in  our  room,  and 
did  not  appear  in  public,  until  we  met  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
V.  G.  at  lunch.  Then  we  four  went  to  the  Taber- 
nacle, to  service. 

Salt  Lake  City  is  divided  into  twenty-two  wards, 
and  each  ward  has  a  Bishop  or  Pastor,  and  a  chapel, 
where  services  are  held  morning  and  evening,  and 
the  people  of  each  ward  attend  their  respective 
chapels.  But  every  Sunday,  at  two  o'clock,  there  is 
service  in  the  Tabernacle,  over  which  the  "  President 
of  the  Mormon  church "  presides.  The  services 
to-day  were  especially  interesting  to  all,  as  it  was 
the  **  Annual  Report  of  the  Young  Men's  Improve- 
ment Association."  A  speaker  from  each  ward  was 
heard,  and  instead  of  one  service  in  the  Tabernacle, 
there  were  three  to-day,  and  we  attended  the  two 
o'clock    service.      The   great   edifice  was   literally 

57 


packed,  hardly  one  more  could  have  been  accom- 
modated. It  was  a  wonderful  sight, — a  great  sea 
of  faces  of  men,  women  and  children.  Little  babes 
in  arms  were  in  great  numbers  also.  The  chorus, 
filling  all  the  seats  on  each  side  the  great  organ, 
numbers  over  three  hundred.  All  in  Utah  are 
musical, — it  is  the  great  talent  in  that  territory,  and 
a  taste  for  music  is  nurtured  and  developed,  and 
produces  marvelous  results. 

The  service  opened  by  a  song,  then  someone 
offered  a  prayer,  then  an  address  was  delivered. 
Soon  after  the  commencement  of  the  address  on 
**  Self-Culture,"  a  still  small  voice  was  heard,  but  we 
could  not  hear  what  was  said.  The  speaker  halted ; 
all  was  silence  while  these  few  words  were  uttered ; 
then  a  number  of  men  arose,  and  began  to  pass  the 
Bread  of  Communion.  The  speaker  continued,  and 
during  his  entire  address,  the  plates  of  bread  were 
passed — back  and  forth  through  those  long  rows  of 
seats.  Everybody  partook,  even  the  tiniest  babies 
had  a  piece  of  the  Bread  put  into  their  mouths  by 
their  mothers.  No  head  was  bowed,  no  prayer  in 
silence  offered,  but  all  looked  about  as  if  nothing 
had  happened,  and  they  were  merely  being  refreshed. 
The  lecturer  continued  his  discourse,  when  suddenly 
and  once  more  there  was  a  riioment's  silence,  then  the 
ushers  began  to  move  about  with  urns  and  cups, 
which  were  filled  with  water.  Every  Mormon,  in 
that  vast  assembly,  partook  in  the  same  seemingly 
unappreciative  way,  and  then  each  child  had  some 

58 


of  the  water  also.  As  one  usher  approached  the 
pulpit  and  the  lecturer,  he  thrust  the  cup  into  the 
speaker's  hand,  and  he  immediately  paused  and 
drank.  The  solemnity  of  our  beautiful  service  was 
not  seen  or  felt,  and  I  could  not  think  that  the  sweet 
communion,  which  comes  to  us  in  our  silent  worship, 
could  come  in  this  way,  and  I  wondered  how  these 
people  could  "  take  and  eat,"  without  bowing  the 
head,  or  offering  one  little  prayer. 

A  letter  was  read  from  one  of  the  President's 
Councilors — a  man  named  Joseph  F.  Smith,  who  has 
been  in  exile,  since  the  law  abolishing  polygamy  was 
enforced,  for  he  had  too  many  wives.  He  said  in 
his  letter  that  "  Joseph  Smith,  the  Prophet,  was  as 
truly  a  messenger  from  God,  as  truly  inspired,  as 
great  a  teacher  and  prophet,  as  Jesus  Christ  was," 
and  much  of  a  similar  nature.  It  was  a  rambling, 
ranting  letter,  but  listened  to  as  attentively  by  that 
great  audience,  as  if  a  message  from  Heaven. 

Then  President  Woodruff,  a  man  over  eighty-five 
years  old,  made  an  address.  We  sat  over  two  hours 
in  the  tabernacle,  with  tired  and  crying  babies,  on 
our  right  hand  and  left,  before  and  behind  us,  and 
we  were  only  refreshed,  when  that  magnificent  organ 
and  chorus  rang  out,  in  great  volumes  of  glorious 
sound. 

Joseph  Smith,  the  prophet,  was  the  one  who 
claimed  to  have  found  the  lost  tablets,  through  in- 
spiration from  heaven,  which  made  polygamy  per- 
missible. All  their  freedom,  in  many  marriages,  dates 

59 


from  this  licentious  old  fraud's  sage  and  wonderful 
influence,  over  a  readily  convinced  people.  They 
say,  whenever  Brigham  Young  saw  a  nice  attractive- 
looking  young  woman,  and  was  beginning  to  tire  of 
the  previous  wife,  he  used  to  go  into  the  mountains, 
and  come  back  after  a  while,  and  tell  the  young 
girl's  parents,  that  he  had  had  a  revelation  from 
heaven,  telling  him  he  should  marry  their  daughter. 
It  was  a  law  of  heaven,  and  must  be  obeyed,  and  so 
the  girl  became  one  of  his  wives. 

In  the  early  days  of  polygamy,  the  first  wife  could 
regulate  the  marriages  of  her  husband,  as  her  con- 
sent was  necessary.  In  the  latter  days,  however, 
the  old  rogues  used  to  get  married,  on  the  quiet,  and 
not  wait  for  the  consent  of  any  one. 

As  I  sat  in  the  Tabernacle,  all  that  I  had  learned 
of  the  Mormon  religion  passed  rapidly  through 
my  mind,  and  impressed  me  with  not  a  little  weight 
and  interest.  But  the  polygamous  side  of  the  re- 
ligion caused  me  no  end  of  amusing  thoughts,  and 
each  man  I  eyed  with  suspicion,  especially  if  he  sat 
*'  with  his  sisters,  and  his  cousins  and  his  aunts," 
and  I  could  not  help  wondering  which  was  number 
one,  and  which  number  six,  and  if  they  lived  *'  at 
swords'  points "  with  each  other,  or  were  at  peace 
in  their  united  love  for  their  lord  and  master.  I 
marveled  at  the  wonderful  strength  of  character 
those  women  must  have  possessed,  who  had  such 
experiences. 

A  lady  friend,  a  Mormon,  told  me  that  "  the  pres- 
60 


ent  trials  of  the  men,  caused  by  the  recent  strict  laws^ 
are  only  just,  in  proportion  to  the  sufferings  born 
by  brave  noble  women  in  the  past."  I  asked  **how 
a  man  could  choose  between  all  his  wives,  and  take 
one  away  from  the  rest,  and  live  with  her  alone  and 
only  ?  "  "  Oh,  the  law  regulates  with  which  wife  a 
man  must  live,"  answered  my  friend ;  "  a  man  must 
take  his  first  wife,  whether  she  is  the  most  attractive 
to  him,  or  not.  If  he  takes  any  other  wife,  he  is 
liable  to  imprisonment.  If  a  man's  first  wife  is  dead, 
however,  he  can  then  choose  from  his  other  wives, 
but  he  must  be  married  to  her  by  a  minister, 
although  he  may  have  a  large  family  of  children,  by 
that  very  wife."  One  gentleman,  whom  we  saw,  was 
in  a  sad  predicament.  When  the  law  was  passed,  he 
was  living  with  two  wives,  his  first  wife  having  died. 
The  poor  man  could  not  live  with  either  of  these 
wives,  because  if  he  chose  one,  he  made  his  other 
marriage  illegal,  and  their  children  ceased  to  be 
his  the  moment  he  married  the  other  wife.  To  be 
true  to  both,  and  to  be  able  to  care  for,  and  be  a 
father  to  all  his  children,  he  lives  alone,  and  his  two 
wives  live  together. 

The  liberty  allowed  by  the  Mormon  Church,  in 
taking  a  number  of  wives,  has  been  terribly  abused, 
and  is  keenly  felt  by  the  younger  element  in  the 
church,  and  only  the  older  men  of  the  early  days 
have  many.  Of  course,  every  one  is  descended  from 
some  enormous  household,  and  as  children  always 
reverence  and    love  their  grand-parents,   so    they 

6i 


always  speak  most  kindly  of  them,  and  most  apolo- 
getically. While  chatting  one  day  in  Salt  Lake  City 
with  a  friend,  thoughtlessly  I  asked  her  if  there 
were  many  in  her  family.  "  Many!  "  exclaimed  her 
husband  ;  "  as  her  grandfather  had  more  wives  than 
Brigham  Young,  there  are  naturally  a  great  many 
in  her  family."  "But,"  added  my  friend,  "my 
grandmother  was  the  Jirst  wife ! "  A  strange  thing, 
but  the  first  wife  was  always  treated  with  the  utmost 
respect,  by  all  the  other  wives,  and  their  households. 
The  law  now  prohibits  a  man  from  ever  seeing  his 
former  wives,  and  if  a  man  can  be  caught  calling 
upon  them,  he  can  be  fined  and  imprisoned. 

The  hard  part  is  in  disowning  the  innocent  little 
children,  who  have  been  so  unfortunate  as  to  come 
into  the  world,  under  these  trying  circumstances. 
The  Church  provides  a  home  for  such  mothers  and 
their  families,  who  are  so  uncomfortably  deserted 
and  unable  to  support  themselves,  but,  as  a  rule, 
the  deserted  wives  live  together,  and  are  sadder  and 
more  miserable  than  widows. 

They  say  "  Children  are  Utah's  best  crop."  A 
childless  woman,  in  the  Mormon  Church,  is  consid- 
ered a  disgrace  to  her  family. 

Brigham  Young  was  a  devoted  father,  and  was 
constantly  in  the  midst  of  his  modest  little  flock  of 
fifty-two  children.  He  could  not  remember  all  the 
Marys,  Susans  and  Kates,  so  they  each  had  a  num- 
ber, and  were  "registered  stock."  There  is  now 
standing  the  school  house,  which  he  built  for  his  own 

62 


family,  and  where  they  were  all  educated.  He  left 
each  an  inheritance,  at  his  death,  of  thirty  thousand 
dollars.     Brigham  Young  had  nineteen  wives. 

Polygamy  tended  to  the  development  of  incon- 
stancy, to  speak  mildly,  and  to  a  lack  of  concentra- 
tion of  affection,  most  damaging  to  home 
and  happiness.  The  women  of  Utah  were, 
in  the  olden  times,  quite  like  the  women 
of  to-day,  and  their  sufferings  must  have  been 
intense,  as  they  bore  it  because  it  was  their 
"religion," — the  inconstancy  of  their  husbands, — 
and  had  to  smother  the  jealousy  and  heartaches,  and 
find  pleasure  in  the  love  of  their  little  children. 
The  sympathy,  and  companionship,  and  love,  of 
mother  and  child  in  Utah,  is  most  touching  and  true. 
The  mothers  seem  to  have  lavished  all  their  affec- 
tion upon  their  little  ones,  as  the  only  beings  in  life, 
entirely  and  fully  their  own. 

When  walking  with  Col.  W.  to  the  Tabernacle,  on 
Friday,  we  had  a  short  talk  on  religion,  as  the  Mor- 
mons believe  in  it.  They  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  in 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  God,  in  the  Trinity,  as  we  do. 
They  believe  that  God  is  a  Merciful  Father,  that 
He  does  not  willingly  punish  any  of  his 
children,  but  that  we  bring  punishment  upon  our- 
selves, by  our  own  acts.  They  believe  that  God  was 
once  upon  earth,  that  He  knows  our  temptations 
and  trials,  but  by  His  wonderful  power  He  became 
our  Saviour.  They  believe  that  we  have  all  existed 
before,  in   some   other  sphere,  and  as  spirits,  and 

63 


their  greatest  religious  fervor  is  in  preparing  for  the 
life  to  come.  The  truly  religious  look  upon  this 
life,  as  merely  a  place  of  preparation.  They  believe 
in  a  resurrection  of  the  body,  as  well  as  the  soul. 
They  say  this  body  returns  to  the  dust,  from  which 
it  was  made,  but  our  spiritual  body  will  be  the 
exact  image  of  our  earthly  body ;  in  other  words, 
they  believe  in  the  resurrection  of  our  body,. 
without  the  earthly  element.  They  have 
perfect  faith  in  inspiration,  and  usually  at 
their  services,  the  President  is  inspired  to  call 
upon  some  member  to  speak,  and  that  person 
considers  it  a  "  Divine  Call,"  and  speaks  sometimes 
for  one  hour,  sometimes  two,  as  he  feels  impelled. 
The  Church  is  governed  by  a  President,  by  Twelve 
Apostles,  and  the  Chosen  Seventy,  all  of  whom  sit 
up  in  front  of  the  organ,  on  raised  sofas  of  red 
plush — the  President  occupying  the  highest.  One 
thing  Col.  W.  told  me  has  impressed  me  more  and 
more,  as  I  have  thought  of  it,  day  by  day,  that  is — 
that  we  have  a  Mother  in  Heaven,  as  well  as  a 
Father.  It  will  startle  one  at  first,  as  it  did  me. 
The  Mormons  believe  that,  as  *'  God  is  great  in  wis^ 
dom,  and  power,  and  might,  so  He  is  great  in  provid- 
ing Himself  with  all  that  is  best,  and  so  He  does 
not  live  alone  in  His  greatness,  but  He  has  a 
wife !" — Don  Carlos  Young,  one  of  Brigham  Young's 
sons,  thus  expressed  it  to  me.  The  idea  was  revolt- 
ing to  me  at  first,  but  after  reading  a  little  poem, 
which  Col.  W.  sent  me,  it  was  so  prettily  expressed,. 

64 


that  Jamie  copied  it,  to  insert  in  my  journal.  It  is^ 
of  course,  the  one  idea  of  happiness  to  Mormons, 
the  possession  of  a  wife,  and  so  they  cannot  think 
of  God  in  Heaven,  as  a  lonely  solitary  Power.  The 
Mormon  religion  savors  of  the  Theosophists'  faith, 
but  it  is  in  form  more  like  the  Quaker,  in  their 
belief  in  divine  inspiration,  and  in  their  order  of 
service. 

INVOCATION 

OR  THE 
ETERNAL   FATHER  AND   MOTHER. 


OMY  Father,  thou  that  dwellest 
In  the  high  and  holy  place, — 
When  shall  I  regain  thy  presence. 
And  again  behold  thy  face  ? 

In  thy  glorious  habitation, 
Did  my  spirit  once  reside  ? 

In  my  first  primeval  childhdod, 
Was  I  nurtured  near  thy  side  ? 

For  a  wise  and  glorious  purpose, 
Thou  has  placed  me  here  on  earth, 

And  withheld  the  recollection 
Of  my  former  friends  and  birth. 

Yet  oftimes  a  secret  something 

Whispered, "  You're  a  stranger  here 

And  I  felt  that  I  had  wandered 
From  a  more  exalted  sphere. 

I  had  learned  to  call  thee  Father, 
Through  thy  spirit  from  on  high ; 

But,  until  the  Key  of  Knowledge 
Was  restored,  I  knew  not  why. 

65 


In  the  heavens  are  parents  single  ? 

No :  the  thought  makes  reason  stare : 
Truth  is  reason :  truth  eternal, 

Tells  me  I've  a  mother  there. 

When  I  leave  this  frail  existence — 

When  I  lay  this  mortal  by — 
Father,  Mother,  may  I  meet  you 

In  your  royal  court  on  high  ? 

Then  at  length,  when  I've  completed 

All  you  sent  me  forth  to  do, 
With  your  mutual  approbation, 

Let  me  come  and  dwell  with  you. 

By  Eliza  R.  Snow,  widow  of  Joseph  Smith,  the  Mormon 
Prophet,  and  afterwards  one  of  Brigham  Young's 
nineteen  wives. 

Copied  by  J.  W.  H.,  June  4,  1891. 

MONDAY,  JUNE    1ST. 

A  LOVELY  morning,  cool  and  almost  too  bright 
•^^  and  sunny.  After  a  late  breakfast,  I  went 
shopping  with  a  friend,  and  when  I  returned,  I  found 
that  James  had  been  with  Mr.  J.  all  the  morning.  His 
hospitality  and  cordiality  are  most  flattering  to  my 
husband.  After  lunch,  armed  with  my  camera,  we 
went  with  Mrs.  J.  and  her  daughter  to  Brigham 
Young's  grave.  To-day  is  Brigham  Young's  nine- 
tieth birthday, — he  has  been  dead  fifteen  years  in 
August.  On  his  birthday,  his  children  and  grand- 
children cover  his  grave  with  flowers,  and  the  gate 
to  the  burying-ground  is  unlocked,  and  strangers  are 
admitted.     When  we  reached   there,  some   visitors 

66 


moved  away  ;  and  while  arranging  the  camera  for  a 
photograph,  through  the  gate,  and  across  the  green 
lawn,  walked  five  little  children,the  oldest  about  ten 
years,  the  youngest  about  three.  They  all  carried 
flowers, — some  in  the  form  of  wreaths,  others  bou- 
quets. The  thought  flashed  through  my  mind, 
what  a  chance  for  a  picture  ;  it  was  so  unusual  a  cir- 
cumstance, and  seemed  made  on  purpose  for  me,  for 
those  five  children  were  Brigham  Young's  grand- 
children, and  had  come  to  lay  flowers  on  his  grave. 

Afterwards  I  met  one  of  Brigham  Young's 
daughters, — a  very  pleasant,  well-educated  lady. 
She  spoke  of  her  mother's  care  and  hardships,  in 
crossing  the  plains,  in  a  little  wagon,  when  she  came 
to  Salt  Lake, — of  the  long  four  months'  trip,  etc., 
and  it  was  most  interesting  to  hear. 

In  the  evening,  James  and  I  went  with  the  J.'s  to 
Salt  Lake  Opera  House,  to  see  the  "  Lilliputians." 
We  had  a  box,  and  spent  a  most  delightful  evening. 
The  little  actors  were  as  cute  as  possible.  The 
theatre  is  small  but  wonderfully  pretty,  and  was 
built  years  ago,  by  Brigham  Young,  the  centre  light 
in  the  ceiling  having  been  made  of  the  wheel  of  the 
wagon,  in  which  he  came  across  the  plains,  with 
lamps  hung  around  the  edge,  and  in  the  middle.  It 
is  now  replaced  by  a  fine  electric  flower  piece. 

Brigham  Young  was  a  born  organizer  and  despot, 
and  he  ruled  his  little  kingdom  like  an  emperor,  in 
undisputed  power  and  might.  The  people  loved 
him,  his  word  was  law  to  them,  and  no  matter  how 

67 


down-trodden  they  were,  his  magnetic  power  car- 
ried all  before  him,  and  no  one  thought  of  raising  a 
voice  against  his  edicts. 

TUESDAY,  JUNE  2ND. 

A  NOTHER  bright  day,  and  another  drive  with 
•^  our  friends ;  in  fact,  most  of  our  time  is  spent 
with  them,  in  their  charming  home,  or  driving. 

They  say  the  dusty  season  in  Salt  Lake  City  is  a 
most  trying  time  and  experience,  but  it  comes  later 
in  the  summer.  We  think  it  is  terribly  dusty  now  ; 
our  boots  and  shoes  are  constantly  white.  Outside 
all  the  front  doors  of  even  the  finest  homes,  are 
feather  dusters,  to  use  for  the  boots  before  entering 
the  house. 

WEDNESDAY,  JUNE    3RD. 

T  OVELY  weather ;  in  fact,  every  day  seems  lovely 
here.  Again,  before  eleven,  we  were  driving 
with  Mr.  J.  We  had  a  delightful  drive,  and  are 
becoming  so  well  acquainted  with  the  city,  and  so 
interested  in  the  wonderful  growth  of  the  trees. 
The  streets  all  have  wooden  gutters,  through  which 
water  is  kept  flowing,  as  nothing  will  grow,  neither 
trees  nor  grass,  without  this  constant  irrigation. 
Lawns  are  regularly  watered  morning  and  evening, 
as  all  would  dry  up  if  it  was  not  done.  Salt  Lake 
City  did  not  impress  me  favorably  at  first,  and  if 
James  had  felt  like  it,  I  should  gladly  have  moved 
on  last  Saturday.     I  am  so  thankful  we  did  not ;  for 

68 


the  more  we  see  of  the  city  and  its  people,  the  more 
delighted  we  are  that  we  have  remained,  and  come 
to  know  both  so  well.  The  Mormons  are  greatly- 
misunderstood.  Of  course,  their  religious  views, 
differ  widely  in  many  points  from  ours,  but  we  were 
glad  to  hear,  from  the  Mormons  themselves,  just 
what  they  believe. 

In  Salt  Lake  City  is  the  funniest  little  house  we 
ever  saw.  Long  ago,  a  young  man  lost  his  lady- 
love, the  night  before  they  were  to  have  been  mar- 
ried, and  it  changed  his  entire  life,  making  a 
"  crooked  stick  "  out  of  a  youth  of  bright  promise. 
The  lover  is  an  old  man  now,  but  he  lives  entirely 
alone  with  his  memories,  A  long  curl  of  golden 
hair,  and  a  sweet  little  wedding  gown  are  his  treas- 
ures. His  house  is  the  tiniest  place  imaginable, 
white  as  white-wash  can  make  it,  and  as  clean  and 
shining  within  as  without.  The  queerest  part  of  it 
is,  that  all  his  choicest  goods  and  chattels  are  put 
about  the  little  place,  on  the  outside.  He  thinks,  for 
some  unknown  reason,  that  his  sweetheart's  spirit 
will  not  come  into  the  house,  so  he  has  I'ttle  chairs 
and  a  sofa,  oil  paintings,  etc.,  yards  of  American 
flags,  mosses,  shells,  and  every  conceivable  thing 
outside,  on  the  roof,  the  sidewalk  and  everywhere. 
The  people  of  Salt  Lake  so  honor  this  poor  old 
man's  sentiment  and  sorrow,  that  no  one  ever  mo- 
lests or  destroys  a  thing.  It  was  very  pathetic  to 
us.  It  seems  sad  that  the  one  affection  of  a  man's 
heart,  should  not  be  for  its   noblest   development, 

69 


and  stimulating  to  the  highest  and  best  in  character. 
Why  should  love,  even  deep  and  abiding,  dwarf 
one,  and  make  such  gloomy  shadows  and  sad  lives  ? 

FRIDAY,   JUNE    5TH. 

13EF0RE  we  had  finished  breakfast.  Col.  W. 
called  to  ask  us  to  accompany  him,  after  lunch, 
to  view  the  new  Temple.  Soon  after  he  left,  our 
friend  Mrs.  J.  came  for  us  to  drive  again,  a  little  ear- 
lier this  morning,  for  some  one  else  had  taken  us 
yesterday,  before  she  came.  After  a  delightful 
drive,  and  lunch,  James  and  I  went  to  see  the  new 
**  Temple."  No  one  is  admitted,  usually ;  but  Col. 
W.  had  obtained  a  private  permit,  and  Don  Carlos 
Young  (one  of  Brigham  Young's  fifty-two),  took  us 
all  over  it,  explained  everything,  and  we  came  away 
full  of  religious  points  and  principles,  which  I  will 
add  to  this  chronicle,  in  a  Coda. 

We  did  what  few  Mormons  have  ever  done,  and 
very  few  ladies ;  we  climbed  to  the  tip-top  pinnacle, 
up  stairs  of  stone  at  first,  then  wooden  steps, 
climbed  ladders,  crawling  through  dark  rooms  where 
we  could  only  feel  our  way,  and  finally,  our  climb 
was  crowned  by  a  most  magnificent  and  glorious 
view  over  all  the  city,  across  to  Salt  Lake,  the  snow 
mountains  rising  so  majestically  all  about  the  beau- 
tifully shaded  city.  It  was  an  awful  climb,  but  as 
James  said,  "it  paid, — didn't  it.  May!" 

We  were  nearly  tired  out  before  we  were  back  at 
the  Hotel,  and  then  the  packing  had  to  be  done,  as 

70 


we  were  to  leave  Salt  Lake  City,  in  the  wee  small 
hours  of  the  night,  for  San  Francisco. 

After  dinner,  when  all  was  in  readiness  for  our 
start,  we  went  with  the  J.'s  to  the  delightful  Mus- 
ical Festival  in  the  Tabernacle.  It  was  a  wonder- 
ful sight  to  us,  that  huge  auditorium  absolutely- 
packed  with  human  beings.  The  organ  was  in  mag- 
nificent tone,  and  the  chorus  was  so  huge  and  so 
mighty  in  number  and  voice,  that  our  ears  did  not 
seem  one-fourth  big  enough,  to  fully  appreciate  that 
volume  of  wondrous  harmony.  It  was  magnificent ! 
Some  native  talent  was  astonishing  and  marvelous. 
Myron  Whitney  sang  well,  and  Miss  Emma  Thurs- 
by's  voice  was  angelic, — both  having  come  from  the 
East,  to  grace  the  occasion.  Miss  Thursby  sang  as 
if  inspired,  and  her  audience  was  spell-bound,  and 
not  a  note  was  lost  by  that  music-loving  assembly. 

The  musical  feast  was  too  soon  over.  James  was 
never  so  enthusiastic, — in  fact  he  was  deeply  im- 
pressed. At  eleven  o'clock,  we  were  out  in  the 
open  air  again,  and  much  interested  in  watching  the 
mass  of  people  disperse  and  disappear,  in  every  di- 
rection. Where  they  all  came  from  and  went  to, 
was  a  wonder  to  us.  We  went  to  our  friends' 
home,  expecting  only  to  make  a  short  call,  but  a 
dainty  supper  for  the  travellers,  we  found  prepared ; 
and  it  was  long  after  midnight,  when  we  hurriedly 
returned  to  the  hotel  for  our  luggage,  to  take  the  2 
A.  M.  train  for  San  Francisco. 

We  left  Salt  Lake  City  at  2  A.  M.,  but  in  reality 

71 


we  left  Ogden  one  hour  before  we  reached  there, 
for  we  arrived  at  Ogden  at  3  A.  M.  by  Mountain 
Time,  but  left  there  at  2  A.  M.  by  Pacific  Time, 

SATURDAY,  JUNE  6TH. 

/^N  the  train,  going  to  San  Francisco,  across  the 
^■^  most  uninteresting  portion  of  God's  World  I 
We  were  over  twenty-four  hours  in  crossing  the 
Great  Desert,  and  it  was  awful,  such  barrenness  and 
doleful  scenery,  such  weary  wastes  of  woeful  mis- 
ery, and  dust — like  pepper — covered  everything,  for 
we  were  crossing  the  alkali  plains.  It  was  a  most 
wretched  day ! 

James  and  I  sat  together,  on  the  back  platform  of 
our  train,  as  it  was  too  warm  to  stay  in  the  car,  and 
we  were  too  tired  and  too  dusty  to  care  much  for 
anything. 

We  saw  plenty  of  Indians,  in  paint  and  feathers  ; 
and  one  woman  attracted  us  exceedingly,  as  she 
carried  her  dear  little  pappoose  on  her  back,  the 
little  black  head  just  peeping  out  from  its  awful 
wool  wrapping.  Another  Indian  woman  was  as 
handsome  as  a  picture,  and  her  rich  dark  cheeks 
were  each  painted  with  a  fine  white  cross,  put  on  in 
spots  like  beads. 

SUNDAY,   JUNE    7TH. 

JAMES  and  I  slept  as  well  on  the  train  last  night, 
as  we  have  lately  at  the  hotels,  where  we  have 
been.      There  was  a  general  shake  up   and  earth- 

73 


quake  motion,  which  we  do  not  find  in  hotels,  but 
we  were  unusually  comfortable.  We  had  a  misera- 
ble breakfast  this  morning,  at  Sacramento ;  but  the 
waiter  said,  "  Will  you  have  coffee,  or  tea,  Miss,'^ 
which  produced  a  well-fed  satisfaction  within  my 
breast,  in  spite  of  the  lack  of  proper  provisions. 

The  ride,  until  after  twelve,  was  truly  delightful. 
Before  we  reached  Sacramento,  we  had  passed 
through  a  most  beautiful  country;  and  they  say 
from  Reno  to  Sacramento,  passing  through  the 
Sierra  Nevada  Range,  is  a  charming  trip.  Our  train, 
unfortunately,  went  through  the  interesting  part, 
during  the  very  early  morning  hours,  and  we  missed 
seeing  it.  The  ''  Fast  Mail  "  from  Salt  Lake  City, 
takes  thirty-five  hours  to  run  to  San  Francisco. 

From  Sacramento  to  Oakland,  the  country  was 
like  a  beautiful  flower  garden.  The  marsh-lands 
and  meadows  were  full  of  long  reed  grasses,  and 
wonderful  stalks  of  salmon-pink  buds.  On  each 
side  of  the  track,  bordering  it  for  miles,  were  great 
bushes  of  yellow  wild  flowers,  so  plentiful  and  pro- 
fuse that,  as  we  looked  back  from  our  seat  on  the 
back  platform,  the  long  straight  track  for  miles, 
sometimes  without  a  turn,  seemed  one  golden  path- 
way. They  made  the  roadway  look  like  some  drive 
through  a  garden  full  of  flowers.  Between  the  rails, 
creeping  over  the  sleepers,  and  peeping  up  every- 
where, nodding  so  pleasantly  and  merrily  as  we  flew 
over  them,  were  millions  of  morning-glories;  and 
all  the  buds   and   blossoms   waved  so  cheerily,  by 

73 


means  of  the  commotion  we  created  in  the  air,  of 
course,  and  seemed  to  bow  and  say,  "  Welcome  to 
our  flowery  State."  Some  sandy  hills  were  bril- 
liant with  orange-colored  bells.  We  were  soon 
creeping  along  the  shores  of  the  Sacramento  River, 
but  the  flowers  never  forsook  us,  and  came  with  us 
to  Oakland  Ferry,  where  we  left  the  train  of  the 
Central  Pacific,  and  took  the  boat  for  San  Francisco. 
At  Belencia,  thirty-two  miles  from  the  City  of  the 
Golden  Gate,  we  had  to  cross  the  river  by  boat,  as 
we  used  to  do  at  New  London.  James  gave  much 
pleasure,  by  taking  a  photograph  there  of  our  engine 
and  all  the  train  hands ;  and  I  never  saw  a  happier 
crowd  of  men,  and  especially  when  James  took 
their  addresses,  and  promised  to  send  each  one  of 
them  a  picture.  As  the  train  left  the  boat  at  Port 
Costa,  the  engineer  and  switch-men  all  raised  their 
hats  to  me,  as  I  stood  on  the  back  platform,  and 
James  was  so  much  pleased  and  gratified  ;  but  we 
laughed  heartily  as  we  realized,  by  our  satisfaction, 
how  little  it  took  to  please  us. 

We  saw  many  vineyards  on  our  journey  to-day, 
notably  the  Zinfandel  Vineyard.  Oakland  impressed 
us  as  a  very  pretty  place,  and  the  sail  from  Oakland 
to  San  Francisco  was  delightful,  as  the  boats  are 
large  and  fine.  There  were  many  officers  on  board 
to-day,  and  we  learned  that  three  men-of-war  had 
come  in  last  night,  and  lay  at  anchor  near  our  boat, 
and  they  had  received  orders  to  start  at  once  for 
Chili. 

74 


We  landed  at  San  Francisco  at  noon,  and  drove  at 
once  to  the  Palace  Hotel,  and  were  soon  taken  to  a 
very  pleasant  room;  but  one  look  at  the  bath-tub  was 
enough  for  James,  and  he  asked  for  another  room, 
with  better  and  fresher  appointments,  for  nothing 
seemed  so  attractive  just  then  as  a  clean  tub  of  hot 
water ;  we  were  so  travel-stained.  While  we  were 
waiting  for  room  number  two,  in  came  our  good 
friend  Mr.  H.,  who  had  left  us  in  Salt  Lake  City, 
and  gone  on  to  San  Francisco.  Poor  fellow,  he  had 
taken  a  young  lady  to  the  boat  with  him  to  meet 
us,  and  reached  there  two  minutes  too  late,  so  fol- 
lowed us  to  the  hotel.  He  asked  us  to  go  to  the 
parlor  to  meet  his  friend,  which  I  did,  dirt  and  all, 
and  had  a  very  pleasant  call. 

After  ablutions  and  a  dainty  lunch,  served  in  our 
room,  and  a  good  long  nap,  James  and  I  prepared 
for  dinner.  As  James  was  dressed  first,  he  went 
downstairs  to  get  a  little  idea  of  places  and  things, 
and  was  to  return  in  a  few  minutes  for  me.  Mr.  H. 
came  to  the  door  to  speak  to  James  a  moment,  and 
I  had  just  said  "You'll  find  him  down  in  the 
office,'*  when  I  heard  a  colored  man  say  "this  is 
your  room,  I  think,  sir,"  and  there  stood  James 
laughing  heartily.  "  Well,  I  never  was  in  such  a 
hotel,"  exclaimed  the  poor  fellow,  "  it's  as  much  as 
a  man  can  do  to  find  his  way  about."  Then  he  went 
on  to  tell  us,  that  he  had  mistaken  the  floor  and  gone 
to  the  wrong  door,  which  a  dear  little  lady  opened 
and  shut  as  quickly.     "Then  I  had  to  get  the  bell- 

7S 


man  to  bring  me  to  my  room,"  he  laughingly  added. 
One  cannot  imagine,  in  their  wildest  moods,  such  a 
monstrous  place  as  this  Palace  Hotel.  It  is  larger 
and  finer  than  any  hotel  we  have  ever  seen  in 
America,  or  on  the  other  side  of  the  water.  Hand- 
somely appointed  and  furnished,  with  halls  luxuri- 
ously provided  with  innumerable  sofas,  etc.,  palms 
to  decorate,  and  everything  in  such  perfect  order 
and  cleanliness  everywhere,  the  Palace  Hotel  is  cer- 
tainly not  mis-named.  Our  room  is  on  the  second 
floor,  and  is  "  No.  946."  The  dining-room  is  fin- 
ished and  furnished  in  white  and  gold,  and  the  cui- 
sine is  excellent.  After  a  good  dinner,  we  came  to 
our  room  and  spent  a  delightful  evening,  reading  and 
writing. 


SAN  FRANCISCO  AND  MONTEREY. 


MONDAY,  JUNE   8TH. 

C  AN  FRANCISCO !  A  breakfast  in  our  room, 
^  then,  at  ii  A.M.,  Mr.  H.  came  with  Miss 
B.  (the  young  lady  he  came  West  to  see,  who 
called  upon  me  yesterday),  and  we  four  wandered 
out,  first  on  errands,  then  pleasure.  It  was  a  most 
lovely  day,  but  so  awfully  windy^  which  is  San 
Francisco's  chronic  state,  at  this  season.  The  Trade 
Winds  begin  to  blow  about  1 1  A.M.,  and  woe  to  the 
big  hats  and  parasols !  Our  first  errand  was  to  carry 
our  Kodak  to  the  agent  here,  to  be  developed.  Then 
we  called  on  Mr.  J.'s  business  agent,  who  offered  to 
go  with  us,  in  the  afternoon,  at  2  p.m.,  to  the  best 
shops  in  **  Chinatown."  We  went  into  some  of 
the  stores  on  errands,  had  lunch  at  a  restaurant, 
called  ''Maison  Doree,"and  at  2  P.M.  Mr.  S.  met  us, 
and  we  went  to  Chinatown. 

Chinatown  is  a  part  of  San  Francisco,  directly  off 
the  main  shopping  street.  We  are  only  about  six 
blocks  from  it  here  at  the  Palace  Hotel.  We  walked 
along  Kearny  Street,  for  about  five  or  six  blocks, 
then  suddenly  turned  to  our  left,  and  walked  one 

77 


block,  up  a  steep  hill : — the  City  is  all  hills,  and  we 
were  in  such  a  queer,  unusual  place, — the  shops  and 
streets  outlined  with  Chinese  signs,  in  great  gilt 
hieroglyphics,  looking  most  picturesque  and  un- 
usual. The  narrow  streets  were  filled  with  quite 
American  shaped  houses,  but  the  balconies  were 
hung  with  banners  and  great  Chinese  lanterns,  and 
were  very  showy  and  dressy.  We  walked  a  little 
through  the  streets  and  alleys,  but  soon  began  to 
visit  the  merchants  in  their  neat  shops.  I  thought 
we  had  seen  Chinamen  in  our  eastern  cities  ;  but 
here  we  saw  hundreds  and  hundreds  of  these  solemn- 
faced,  cleanly-shaved  Celestials,  in  their  long  queer 
dark-colored  shirts,  or  coats,  their  unsteady  and 
uncomfortable  looking  shoes,  their  long  pig-tails 
and  cleanly-shaved  foreheads.  Half  way  back, 
towards  the  top  of  the  head,  Chinamen  are  closely 
shaved,  giving  them  such  tremendous  foreheads, 
and  one  queer  peculiarity  of  their  faces  is,  that  there 
is  but  little  degree  or  difference  in  their  foreheads 
— at  least,  I  mean,  it  would  be  hard  to  tell  where  the 
forehead  ends,  and  the  nose  and  eyes  begin,  if  it 
were  not  for  the  eye-brows  (which  no  high-born 
Chinaman  ever  allows  to  grow).  I  have  studied 
their  faces  quite  closely,  and  find  the  lack  of  expres- 
sion due  mostly  to  this  straight  forehead  and  nose ; 
but  they  are  an  interesting  people — keen,  shrewd, 
sharp  at  a  bargain,  and  cunning  as  witches.  The 
high-class  merchant  is  a  fine  specimen  of  man. 
Generally  clean  and  neatly  dressed,  with  wonderful 

78 


dignity  and  solemn  manners,  no  one  can  help  but 
admire  him  ;  but  one  cannot  help  noticing  the  lack 
of  frivolity,  and  utter  absence  of  wit  and  humor. 
He  seems  heavy  and  solemn,  as  if  life  was  a  serious 
problem,  and  must  be  met  with  appropriate  dignity, 
and  silent  struggle.  Their  language  is  a  sort  of 
chop-stick  medley,  a  mixture  of  musical  and  un- 
musical sounds  and  groans. 

Mr.  S.  took  us  to  see  many  of  them,  and  we  were 
at  once  fascinated  with  their  goods,  and  Chinatown. 
Everything  in  Chinatown  is  *'two  bit-te"  (or  25 
cents),  "  four  bit-te  "  etc.,  and  soon  one  gets  to  talk- 
ing pigeon  English  unconsciously.  We  saw  some 
little  things,  and  asked  the  price,  "  Him  cost  four 
bit-te."  Pretty  soon  I  heard  James  ask  "  Well,  what 
does  him  cost, — other  him  "  pointing  to  some  other 
article.  Everything  is  *'  him."  I  don't  believe  the 
Chinese  language  has  any  but  the  masculine  gender. 
If  you  don't  like  a  thing  you  say,  "  Him  no  good, 
me  don't  want  him."  But  we  found  some  China- 
men who  could  speak  English  most  wonderfully. 
One  man  spoke  so  well  that  we  complimented  him, 
and  said  '*  You  speak  English  as  well  as  we  do." 
He  answered  :  **  Why,  you  flatter  me,  ladies,"  as 
polite  as  a  Frenchman.  But  before  we  left  the  store, 
we  had  bought  something,  and  told  him  to  send  it 
to  the  Hotel,  at  once,  "  I  assure  you,  Madam,  it  will 
go  surely,  without  f-a-i-1-i-n-g-s  !  " 

They  eat  at  queer  times,  some  time  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  again  at  four  or  five  in  the  afternoon.     As 

79 


you  go  through  Chinatown,  in  the  afternoon,  you  will 
see  red  curtains  hung  up  at  the  store-door,  at  4  or  5 
o'clock;  that  means  **  don't  come  in,  we  are  eating." 
In  one  store,  the  Chinaman  was  showing  us  some- 
thing, and,  being  evidently  cross  and  hungry,  he 
said,  *'  Come  to-morrow,  me  eat  now,"  and  we  had 
to  go  ;  he  wouldn't  show  us  anything  more.  Mr.  S. 
took  us  into  one  shop,  when  they  were  eating.  In 
the  back  of  the  room,  around  a  bare  table,  sat  six 
Chinamen.  Bowls  of  rice  were  before  each  one,  and 
one  large  dish  of  some  savory  something,  in  the 
middle  of  the  table,  was  the  common  property  of  all. 
They  fished  in  the  centre  dish  with  their  chop-sticks, 
sometimes  all  at  once,  snapping  the  chop-sticks  to- 
gether, until  the  ends  hit  some  big  bit,  and  they  could 
spring  it  over  to  the  pursed-up  lips.  Then,  holding 
his  rice  bowl  under  his  chin,  so  that,  standing  oppo- 
site, I  could  not  see  his  nose,  the  Chinaman  shovelled 
the  rice  into  his  funnel-shaped  mouth,  at  the  rate  of 
**a  mile  a  minute,"  with  his  chop-sticks.  We  do 
not  wonder  that  their  mouths  grow,  as  if  they  had 
been  born  whistling,  for  they  always  hold  the  mouth 
like  a  funnel.  No  women  eat  with  the  men,  nor 
have  we  seen  any  women  in  any  of  the  stores, — 
native  women,  I  mean.  Old  hags  are  on  the  street, 
and  some  very  fine  looking  Chinese  girls,  but  most 
of  these  are  the  bad  class  of  women.  Really  high- 
class  women  are  scarce  in  Chinatown,  and  what  few 
are  there,  are  seldom  seen.  To-day  we  saw  a  little 
girl  of  the  high  class,  walking  on  the  street  in  China- 

80 


town,  followed  by  a  maid, — a  rude,  coarse  Chinese 
woman.  The  little  girl  was  gorgeously  dressed,  in 
beautiful  and  tiny  shoes,  green  trousers  embroid- 
ered elaborately,  a  beautiful  bright  colored  tunic, 
and  a  silver  headdress,  with  ornaments  dangling 
over  her  forehead,  and  long  streamers  hanging  way 
down  her  back.  She  was  a  beauty,  for  Chinatown. 
We  were  in  that  fascinating  place,  until  after  five 
o'clock ;  then  James  and  I  came  to  our  room.  Miss 
B.  and  Mr.  H.  left  us, — we  dressed,  had  dinner, 
listened  to  the  orchestra,  which  plays  twice  a  week 
in  the  Court  of  this  hotel,  wrote  my  journal,  and  re- 
tired. 

TUESDAY,  JUNE  9TH. 

A  FTER  a  late  breakfast,  Mr.  H.,  James  and  I 
"^  wandered  out  to  buy  a  little  birthday  remem- 
brance for  D ,  and  we  found  a  fine  silver  store, 

Shreves, — where  the  daintiest  novelties  were  to  be 
seen.  As  we  walked  along,  we  were  irresistibly 
drawn  into  Chinatown  again.  We  became  so  inter- 
ested there,  and  were  on  such  pleasant  terms  with 
Sing  Fat,  Fong  Sang  Lung,  and  others,  that  it  was 
two  o'clock  before  we  left  there.  We  then  went  to 
see  the  films  of  our  Kodak,  to  choose  the  good  ones 
and  hurry  their  completion.  We  had  the  merriest 
time  possible  over  them,  as  the  photographer  said, 
"  they  were  the  best  set  of  amateur  photographs 
that  he  had  seen  in  a  long  time— and  a  fine  lens  you 
have,"  he  added.       We  then  had  a  little  lunch,  and 

81 


at  four  o'clock  were  back  at  the  Palace,  and  after 
writing  a  short  letter  home,  and  having  a  nap,  we 
dined  at  "  table  d'hote,"  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  V.  G. 
In  the  evening,  we  went  through  Chinatown — 
^*  the  correct  thing  to  do."  We  had  an  excellent 
guide,  who  took  us  everywhere,  and  **  what  we  saw 
in  Chinatown  "  will  be  written  to-morrow. 

At  a  quarter  past  eight  o'clock,  we  assembled  in 
the  court,  on  the  first  floor  of  the  Palace  Hotel,  to 
meet  our  guide,  who  was  to  take  us  through  China- 
town. Our  party  consisted  of  twelve  besides  our- 
selves, our  friends  Mr.  and  Mrs.  V.  G.  and  Mr.  H. 
and  Miss  B.  among  the  number.  We  followed  our 
fleet-footed  courier  through  Kearny  Street,  until 
we  reached  the  hill,  which  led  us  up  into  Chinatown. 
This  particular  and  peculiar  quarter  of  San  Fran- 
cisco covers  a  space,  fourteen  blocks  square,  and  is 
a  more  crowded  place  than  any  similar  space  in  any 
large  city.  There  are  50,000  Chinese  in  Chinatown, 
they  say,  and  one  would  think  there  were  five  times 
that  number,  to  see  the  swarms  of  children  and  men 
in  the  streets. 

Our  first  point  of  interest  was  a  Chinese  Mission, 
maintained  by  the  Baptist  denomination.  The  little 
chapel  was  good  but  plain;  but  over  the  chapel  was 
a  school-room,  divided  into  classes  by  partitions, 
and  these  little  spaces  were  full  of  Chinamen,  learn- 
ing to  speak  English,  which  an  old  white-haired 
man,  and  several  nice-looking  ladies  were  trying  to 
teach  these  Celestials.      Some  of  the  scholars  were 

83 


little  boys,  but  most  of  them  were  men.  I  spoke 
to  a  few  of  them,  looked  at  their  books,  and  asked 
one  about  the  American  history  he  was  reading,  and 
he  spoke  English  very  well.  Finally  I  came  to  a 
dear  little  Chinese  boy,  and  talked  to  him,  and  when 
I  left  him,  he  spoke  to  me  and  said  **  Good-bye,** 
which  seemed  to  be  the  only  word  he  could  say,  and 
his  effort  proved  a  source  of  great  amusement  to 
the  older  men  about  him.  One  seldom  sees  an  old 
man  among  these  Chinamen  ;  we  have  seen  but  one 
in  all  our  visits  here.  They  say  Chinamen  go  to 
these  schools  purely  to  learn  English,  for  business 
purposes;  and  although  the  Baptists  think  often- 
times that  they  have  converted  some,  after  learning 
English,  they  almost  always  return  to  their  old 
faith. 

We  next  visited  "  Chinese  Dr.  Wong'  Woo."  His 
office  is  a  shop  full  of  herbs  and  drugs,  and  when 
we  went  in,  two  men  were  grinding  herbs.  They 
sold  us  a  pill,  which  is  the  size  of  a  marble,  and  then 
is  covered  with  wax,  making  it  as  big  as  a  lime. 
They  showed  us  a  queer  little  frog-like  animal 
thoroughly  dried  and  stiff,  and  they  take  the  oil 
from  this  little  hide,  and  rub  on  joints  of  patients 
who  suffer  with  rheumatism.  The  Chinamen  in 
this  office  were  very  coquettish,  and  flirtatious,  and 
as  we  made  it  a  point  to  speak  to  any  of  them,  who 
could  understand  us,  wherever  we  went,  we  had 
quite  a  laugh  here.  One  man  brought  us  some 
kind  of  a  root,  and  offered  it  to  me,  but  not  know- 

83 


ing  whether  it  was  poison  or  not,  I  was  afraid  to  try 
it,  until  he  commenced  to  eat  some  himself,  when  it 
seemed  reasonably  safe. 

We  visited  several  markets,  where  the  most  re- 
volting black  flesh  meats  were  sold  as  choice  mor- 
sels. In  every  market  may  be  found  eggs,  which 
are  brought  from  China ;  but  they  cover  these  eggs 
with  a  queer  kind  of  black  earth,  before  sending 
them  over,  to  preserve  and  keep  them  fresh,  and  the 
earth  is  so  strong,  that  it  eats  through  the  shell  and 
makes  the  entire  Qgg  like  ink,  and  most  disgusting. 
Nothing  in  these  markets  looked  tempting.  The 
Chinese  never  season  their  food  ;  but  chicken,  duck, 
or  whatever  meat  they  have,  is  cooked  without  but- 
ter, pepper  or  salt,  and  is  consequently  very  unsav- 
ory to  American  palates.  We  saw  a  dismal  basket 
full  of  gristle  and  bone,  hanging  up  in  full  sight, 
and  learned  that  these  dainty  morsels  were  highly 
prized  feet  of  chickens.  Such  queer-looking  joints, 
— some  as  black  as  your  hat  !  They  say  they 
will  not  eat  American-raised  goose,  but  will  eat  all 
other  American  things.  "  Pigs  they  adore  !  "  When 
a  Chinaman  dies,  the  people  are  so  terrified  by  death 
that  they  run  away,  and  the  friends  generally  hurry 
their  dead  to  the  cemetery,  as  fast  as  possible.  They 
take  all  kinds  of  things, — roast  pigs  and  all  kinds  of 
eatables,  and  leave  on  the  grave,  and  they  say  their 
graveyard  resembles  a  picnic-ground. 

We  visited  a  "  Josh  House.'*  These  houses  are 
their  temples,  where  they  come  to  worship.   A  pas- 


sage  and  stairway  lead  to  it,  and  both  walls  are  cov- 
ered with  Chinese  figures,  which  we  thought  was  a 
Chinese  wall-paper  ;  but  the  guide  told  us  that  they 
use  the  walls  of  these  passages,  as  a  directory  of 
names,  of  the  members  of  that  particular  Josh 
House.  The  Chinese  language  is  a  language  of 
signs  and  symbols,  and  certain  sounds  mean  certain 
things.  For  instance  0  (a  circle  with  a  dot  in 
the  middle)  some  time  ago,  stood  for  the  sun,  and 
the  dawn  was  represented  by  this  same  sign,  with  a 
horizontal  line  drawn  beneath  O^  which  was  the 
sun  above  the  horizon.  Now  both  are  modified  into 
a  figure  or  symbol,  and  a  sound  represents  that  par- 
ticular figure.  It  makes  one  curious  to  know  where 
the  Chinese  ever  found  their  guttural  grunts  and 
groans.  It  impresses  James  very  much,  to  think 
that  this  religion  of  theirs  has  lived  so  many  more 
hundreds  of  years  than  our  own,  and  it  holds  them 
so  strongly,  and  makes  the  Chinese  just  as  sincere 
worshippers,  as  our  own  religion  does,  even  better  in 
many  instances.  The  Chinese  are  afraid  to  do  any- 
thing that  they  have  been  taught  their  gods  forbid. 
In  this  temple,  we  went  behind  a  gorgeously  carved 
and  gilded  screen,  and  were  initiated  into  the  mys- 
teries of  their  religion.  One  great  ugly  looking 
god,  all  decked  out  in  rings  and  gilt  and  fine  colors, 
sat  high  up  under  a  kind  of  canopy,  and  is  consid- 
ered their  Supreme  God;  but  whenever  he  displeases 
them  too  much,  they  go  in  a  mass  and  take  him 
down,  destroy  him,  and  put  up  a  new  god,  or  Josh. 

85 


In  front  of  him  sit  four  minor  gods.  Three  were 
pleasant-faced  images,  all  sitting  like  tailors  or 
Turks,  with  crossed  legs,  but  the  other  was  the 
"  Red-faced  Josh,"  and  the  people  fear  him  greatly. 
On  the  altar,  in  front  of  these  gods,  were  two  little 
frames,  with  three  small  tea  cups  in  each,  and  these 
are  filled  each  day,  as  they  evaporate,  with  fresh 
tea,  that  the  gods  may  never  get  thirsty.  Then,  in 
great  brass  urns,  full  of  ashes  of  former  sandal 
sticks,  are  put  little  sticks  of  sandal-wood,  which  are 
always  kept  lighted,  to  keep  evil  spirits  away. 
When  they  go  in  to  worship,  they  always  put  a 
little  lighted  stick  in  ajar,  over  the  threshold,  before 
worshipping.  On  the  extreme  left  of  the  altar,  in  a 
corner,  stood  the  funniest  little  figure,  dried  like  a 
mummy,  dressed  in  a  reddish  gown,  and  holding  in 
his  hand  a  big  palm  leaf  fan.  This  we  were  informed 
was  the  **  Good-spirit  Devil,"  and  on  the  floor  be- 
fore him  stood  a  tin-pan,  in  which  was  a  great 
quantity  of  ashes.  They  told  us  that  the  Chinese 
have  an  idea  that,  if  they  go  before  this  God,  and 
burn  something  that  represents  their  characters, 
they  will  be  safe  from  the  evil  in  the  world.  If  they 
do  not  perform  this  service,  the  world  is  supposed  to 
rob  them  and  ruin  their  characters. 

A  Chinaman,  for  a  small  fee,  went  through  his 
form  of  worship  for  us.  He  knelt  in  front  of  the 
altar,  then  prostrated  himself  three  times,  striking 
his  forehead  on  the  floor,  then  he  muttered  away  to 
himself  in  their  peculiar  monotone,  bowing  his  head 

86 


at  certain  stated  intervals.  After  much  of  this  kind 
of  worship,  he  took  two  small  piecesof  wood,  shaped 
like  half-moons,  and  threw  them  into  the  air,  to  try 
his  luck,  and  see  if  the  gods  heard  his  prayer  and 
were  inclined  to  look  favorably  upon  him.  If  these 
two  pieces  of  wood  both  fell  with  the  flat  side  down, 
he  would  have  very  bad  luck ;  if  both  flat  sides  turned 
up,  his  luck  would  be  moderate  ;  but  if  one  was  up 
and  one  down,  nothing  better  could  be  desired. 
Our  Chinese  worshipper  was  rewarded  by  the  last- 
mentioned  good  fortune  ;  but  he  did  not  stop  here. 
He  next  took  a  wooden  jar  full  of  fiat  sticks  of 
wood,  quite  long  and  narrow,  each  of  which  was 
numbered,  and  shaking  them  three  times  and  pull- 
ing them,  he  began  a  gentle  but  steady  motion, 
with  the  jar  clasped  in  his  two  hands.  Slowly, 
steadily,  but  resolutely  he  shook  them,  until  one  lit- 
tle slim  stick  began  to  push  its  head  a  little  higher 
than  its  neighbors,  and  gradually  progressed  in  its 
upward  motion,  until  it  came  out  of  the  pack,  and 
dropped  on  the  floor.  It  was  strange,  but  as  we  all 
surrounded  that  queer  little  Chinaman,  in  silence 
and  wonder,  as  he  knelt  before  his  altar,  he  turned 
to  us,  and  singling  me  out  of  that  little  party  said, 
"  That  is  your  fortune.  Lady."  He  then  looked  at 
the  number  on  the  stick,  turned  to  a  book  of  refer- 
ence and  read  my  fortune  : — it  was  good  luck,  and 
something  we  could  not  understand  about  Chicago, 
but  he  added,  "  You  will  be  mich,  and  have  luck, 
big-ee  house,   much   gold,   and    come    Chinatown 

87 


again."  Mich  means  rich,  and  James  hopes  his 
prophecy  will  come  true. 

One  queer  thing  interested  us  very  much.  On 
almost  every  corner  in  Chinatown  are  fruit  venders, 
who  look  so  dirty,  and  their  fruit  so  uninviting,  that 
I  wonder  they  ever  sell  anything.  One  fruit-stand 
on  a  corner  is  kept  by  a  father  and  three  sons.  Over 
the  stand,  built  close  against  the  cornice  of  the  win- 
dow, and  entirely  out  of  the  way,  is  a  little  cup- 
board, fenced  in  with  sides,  not  bigger  than  our  bath- 
tub at  home.  A  small  ladder  leads  up  to  a  door  in 
one  end,  and  in  that  **  band-box,'*  as  tourists  call  it, 
sleep  that  father  and  his  three  sons.  They  are  four 
full  grown  people.  The  last  man  in  or  up,  pulls  up 
the  ladder.  You  cannot  imagine  how  crowded  the 
Chinese  live,  like  sardines  packed  in  a  box.  One 
queer  place  we  visited  was  not  as  large  as  the  pan- 
try at  Sunny-Slope.  It  is  the  home  of  an  old  wo- 
man named  Annie,  and  her  queer  shriveled  up  hus- 
band, and  around  the  wall  hangs  every  article  they 
own  in  life ; — a  little  stove,  a  bed  and  a  chair,  com- 
pose their  furniture,  and  the  entire  place  is  over-run 
with  cats  and  dogs.  The  dogs  gave  us  a  dismal  bark 
as  we  approached,  but  the  cats  were  two  deep  every 
where, — on  the  bed,  on  every  little  niche  and  box, 
cats, — nothing  but  cats,  a  full  dozen,  or  more ! 

We  went  to  a  Chinese  pawn-shop,  and  to  a  barber 
shop.  The  Chinese  need  barbers,  and  go  regularly 
to  them  to  have  their  cues  braided,  their  fore- 
heads shaved ;  even  their  nostrils  and  ears  are  shaved 


also.  When  you  see  a  man  with  blue  braid  tied  in 
his  cue,  he  is  in  mourning  for  some  relation,  and 
when  he  wears  blue  trousers  also,  he  has  lost  all  his 
relations.  We  went  to  the  theatre,  but  no  play  was 
being  given.  Men  are  the  only  actors,  and  take  the 
part  of  women  characters  marvelously,  they  say. 
During  a  performance,  the  furniture  for  the  differ- 
ent acts  is  all  placed  together,  on  one  side  of  the 
stage,  and  when  a  man  wants  to  play  that  he  is  row- 
ing a  boat,  he  goes  and  selects  a  pair  of  oars  from 
the  pile,  and  springs  across  the  stage,  moving  them 
as  if  he  was  in  a  boat.  Everything  is  very  primi- 
tive,— they  have  never  advanced  one  step  with  the 
improvements  of  the  age,  in  those  things.  All  the 
actors  live  with  their  families,  underground.  Un- 
der the  theatres, — (there  are  only  two)  there  are 
subterranean  passages,  with  only  room  enough  for  a 
man  to  stand  upright ;  and  on  each  side  of  the  pass- 
ages, live  the  actors,  or  stars,  with  their  wives — 
always  underground  and  in  the  dark.  We  saw  many 
of  them,  as  they  were  having  vacation,  and  two  had 
the  most  exquisite  faces;  really  beautiful  they  were. 
One  was  the  highest  paid  and  finest  actor.  He  re- 
ceives three  thousand  dollars  a  year,  and  is  consid- 
ered very  rich.  His  wife  was  having  her  hair 
dressed,  when  we  went  in,  and  they  always  put  a 
kind  of  paste,  as  black  and  sticky  as  tar,  all  over 
their  hair,  to  make  it  stiff  and  shiny.  In  their 
small  room  underground,  they  pointed  with  great 
pride  to  their  Marriage  Certificate,  framed  and  hang- 

89 


ing  on  the  wall,  as  they  were  married  by  American 
rites.  This  actor  had  the  dearest  little  daughter  I 
ever  saw,  so  sweet  and  refined  looking; — high-born 
people  they  are.  She  sat  on  one  of  the  beautiful 
ebony  chairs,  inlaid  with  pearl,  which  are  common 
everywhere  in  Chinatown,  and  with  a  little  oblique- 
eyed  cousin,-^both  in  their  quaint  costumes,  they 
sang  for  us.  We  fairly  wept !  Two  sweet  little 
girls,  not  five  years  old, — little  Lin  Moy  and  her 
cousin,  with  their  feet  pinched  into  tight  bands, 
that  they  should  not  grow,  sat  and  sang  to  us  with 
their  dear  little  voices,  and  in  the  purest  English, 
"Nearer,  My  God  to  Thee,"  and  "  Jesus  loves  even 
me."  They  go  regularly  to  the  English  school  for 
girls.  I  could  have  loved  those  sweet  wee  ones, — 
they  were  little  angels. 

In  striking  contrast  to  that  scene,  was  our  visit  to 
a  hermit.  It  was  a  most  awful  experience  !  We 
wandered  through  several  streets,  following  Mr.  L., 
when  suddenly  he  turned  into  the  darkest  spookiest 
alley  imaginable.  The  draught  was  too  strong  to 
allow  anyone  to  carry  a  lantern,  if  we  had  had  one, 
so  we  all  filed  in  a  single  column  up  this  narrow 
alley,  so  narrow  that  we  could  touch  each  wall  with 
our  elbows.  No  one  felt  very  brave,  and  our  per- 
fect horror  can  therefore  be  imagined,  when  the 
guide  suddenly  sang  out,  "  Get  up  there,  you 
drunken  white-trash,  get  out  of  the  way," — light- 
ing his  cigar-lighter,  which  gave  one  sickly  flame, 
and  then  as  if  ashamed  to  show  such  a  sight,  sput- 

90 


tered  and  went  out.  "  Come  right  along,  ladies," 
came  a  reassuring  voice  from  the  pitch  darkness, 
^'  don't  be  afraid,  only  a  drunken  man,  keep  close  to 
the  left  wall" ;  and  like  a  flock  of  sheep,  no  one 
being  able  to  see  one  inch  ahead,  or  one  another, 
but  holding  on  for  dear  life  to  whatever  piece  of  ap- 
parel we  happened  to  catch,  in  our  Blind  Man's  Buff 
parade,  we  marched  forward.  We  had  been 
through  Murderer's  Alley,  Rose  Alley,  Sullivan  Al- 
ley, and  many  dark,  dirty,  villainous  places  in  China- 
town ;  but  this  was  the  vilest  and  worst  of  them  all. 
Even  James  said  afterwards,  it  was  entirely  too 
spooky  for  him  !  We  finally  reached  the  object  of 
our  search,  and  the  picture  will  never  be  effaced 
from  my  memory.  By  the  aid  of  the  little  cigar- 
lighter,  we  stepped  into  a  wretched  hole  of  a  place, 
as  dirty  as  absolute  filth  could  make  it ;  and  sitting 
in  one  corner,  close  to  the  wall,  his  head  bent  so 
low  we  could  not  see  his  face,  sat — what  they  called 
— a  man  !  When  a  Chinaman  looses  his  cue,  dis- 
grace comes  upon  him.  This  poor  creature  had  no 
cue,  his  hair  grew  in  a  mass  all  over  his  head,  and 
had  not  been  combed  for  years,  if  appearances  do 
not  deceive.  His  poor  ragged  clothes  hung  in 
great  tatters  from  his  shrunken  shoulders,  and  one 
shoulder  was  bare.  The  guide  said, — "This  man, 
ladies  and  gents,  is  deaf  and  dumb.  He  has  been 
here  in  this  one  position,  for  ten  years.  A  poor 
man,  like  himself,  living  near,  brings  him  food  occa- 
sionally.    He  has  committed  some  awful  crime,  or 

91 


done  some  deed  which  I  cannot  find  out,  but  it  must 
be  something  awful,  for  none  of  his  own  people 
will  come  near  him,**  etc.,  etc.;  but  I  noticed  when 
that  guide  said  "  he  has  committed  some  awful 
crime,"  even  in  that  dim  light,  a  tremor  shook  his  en- 
tire body,  and  he  was  having  more  than  his  just  pun- 
ishment in  this  world, — even  then.  No  one  can  make 
me  believe  that  man  is  deaf,  or  cannot  understand ! 
We  saw  a  magnificent  restaurant,  furnished 
throughout  with  lovely  ebony  and  pearl  chairs 
and  tables,  —  beautiful,  exquisite.  The  House 
has  many  balconies,  and  all  are  hung  with  lanterns, 
Chinese  banners,  and  all  kinds  of  Chinese  toggery. 
They  give  magnificent  banquets  here,  but  mostly 
for  the  fast  set.  Some  streets  or  alleys  in  China- 
town are  full  of  questionable  places.  They  have  no 
windows,  and  the  doors  are  grated.  Little  spaces 
in  the  walls  have  gratings  over  them;  and  once  upon 
a  time,  a  pretty  face  used  to  appear  behind  these 
bars, — but  these  times  are  past,  as  the  law  forbids  that 
procedure  now.  We  visited  one  house,  which  has  so 
many  inmates,  that  they  call  it  the  Palace  Hotel. 
Six  hundred  and  seventy-five  men,  women 
and  children  live  in  this  one  house,  crowded 
in  so  closely,  it  would  make  one  sick  to  see 
them.  Opium  dens  were  in  great  numbers, 
and  it  became  a  familiar  sight  to  see  men 
asleep,  overcome  by  this  powerful  drug.  Some 
showed  us  how  it  was  smoked,  and  it  was  quite  in- 
teresting, but  not  so  unusal  as  I  expected. 


The  "  High  Binders  "  is  a  society  like  the  Mafia, 
of  Italy,  composed  of  the  worst  characters  among 
the  Chinese.  Their  buildings  have  been  seized  by 
law  and  done  away  with,  and  their  society,  it  is 
hoped,  has  become  a  thing  of  the  past.  They  are 
a  terrible  set  of  lawless  ruffians,  and  bring  fear  to 
Chinese  and  Americans  alike. 

There  are  so  many  things  about  these  queer  people, 
that  are  unusual  and  interesting,  that  I  feel  as  if  I 
had  not  chronicled  one  half  of  all  we  have  seen  and 
learned  of  them. 

One  thing  I  forgot  to  mention ;  the  Chinese,  in 
Chinatown,  take  the  bleached  bones  of  their  dead, 
back  home  to  China,  and  bury  them  in  their  own 
cemeteries  there. 

We  visited  the  Chinese  Dungeon,  also,  and  it  re- 
minded us  of  the  tales  told  of  the  prisons  and  punish- 
ments of  the  Inquisition.  Punishment  and  sentence 
are  pronounced,  by  one  among  them,  given  authority 
by  the  Home  Government. 

We  were  back  at  the  Palace  Hotel,  about  mid- 
night, and  were  quite  well  satisfied  with  the  knowl- 
edge we  had  gained,  of  the  wonderful  little  world  in 
Chinatown. 

WEDNESDAY,  JUNE  lOTH. 

WT  E  were  too  tired  to  be  up  early  this  morning, 
so  James  and  I  took  breakfast  and  lunch  to- 
gether, at  twelve  o'clock,  with  our  good  friend  Mr. 

93 


H.  Miss  B.  joined  us  a  little  later,  and  we  four  went 
out  for  a  walk  in  the  afternoon.  It  is  a  great  pleasure 
to  James  and  me,  to  have  two  such  congenial  spirits 
with  us,  as  are  these  two  young  people;  and  we  like 
both  so  much,  we  are  hoping  their  fondness  for  one 
another  is  prophetic.  We  had  dinner  together,  then 
sat  in  the  easy-chairs  in  the  Court,  and  chatted  until 
quite  late. 

THURSDAY,   JUNE    IITH. 

C  AN  FRANCISCO  is  the  queerest  City  to  us,  in 
its  strange  weather.  To  day  is  damp  and  dis- 
mal,— a  fog  is  over  everything,  and  a  little  mist  is 
falling;  but  it  is  the  only  bad  day  we  have  had, 
in  at  least  three  weeks.  It  is  lovely  to  have  such 
weather. 

San  Francisco  is  not  attractive  to  us,  except  in  a 
few  ways.  It  is  quite  cold  here,  which  is  of  course 
delightful,  when  we  hear  of  our  loved  ones,  in  the 
East,  melting  with  the  heat.  Every  night  since  we 
came  here,  we  have  slept  under  two  heavy  blankets 
and  a  spread,  and  warm  clothing  has  been  a  necessity 
to  us.  I  sit  in  our  room  and  shiver  often  with  the 
cold.  The  other  attraction  to  us  is  the  flowers. 
Such  roses,  pinks,  and  sweet-peas !  Men  and  boys 
stand  by  the  dozen,  in  the  streets,  with  their  flower 
baskets  fairly  laden,  with  the  most  glorious  bunches 
of  color, — great  pink  La  France  roses  (five  for  a 
quarter,  or  "  two  bits,"  they  all  say),  violet  and  dark 
blue   sweet  peas, — great    bunches   of   corn-flowers, 

94 


Jacque  roses  in  plenty,  and  all  so  cheap !  Jamie 
buys  me  flowers  every  morning,  and  never  pays 
more  than  two  bits  a  bunch.  This  morning,  he 
brought  me  the  most  glorious  La  France  roses,  with 
beautiful  foliage  and  long  stems,  and  a  bunch  of 
the  daintiest  pink  and  white  carnations, — cost,  only 
ten  cents  for  them  all,  imagine  it !  James  says  "  I 
could  fill  a  big  packing  box  full,  for  two  dollars,  but 
it  would  cost  too  much  to  send  home,  or  I  would  try 
it."  The  poorest  people  have  flowers,  and  it  is  really 
remarkable  to  walk  along  the  streets,  and  notice  the 
glorious  bunches  carried  by  the  poorest  of  the  poor. 
Everybody  seems  to  love  them,  and  to  wear  them. 
The  colors  are  more  brilliant  than  at  home,  and  I 
suppose  it  is  the  peculiar  brightness  of  the  sunshine. 
The  sun  is  dazzlingly  brilliant  in  these  western 
states, — it  nearly  blinds  us.  Another  thing  which 
interests  us  in  San  Francisco,  are  the  cable  cars. 
They  run  so  fast  and  so  close  together,  with  four 
separate  tracks  on  the  main  street,  on  which  the 
Palace  Hotel  faces,  that  it  is  all  one's  life  is  worth  to 
cross  the  street.  I  fairly  fly  across  when  I  have  to 
go,  and  expect  to  be  run  over  yet.  As  Mr.  H.  ex- 
pressed it,  "  You  can  run  for  the  stern  end  of  one  of 
those  cars,  and  missing  it,  you  will  run  right  into  the 
bow  of  another."  They  run  like  mad  all  over  the 
City,  and  cover  distances  so  fast,  and  go  so  thoroughly 
all  over,  that  few  people  keep  horses  and  carriages 
here,  and  not  one  stylish  turn-out  have  I  seen,  since 
we  came  here. 

95 


One  thing  San  Francisco  entirely  lacks,  is  a  good 
restaurant.  There  is  no  Delmonico,  or  Brunswick 
here,  only  what  we  would  call  second-class  places. 
The  best  people  patronize  them,  however,  and  as 
one  "  wants  to  do  in  Rome  as  the  Romans  do,"  we 
have  gone  to  them,  and  been  much  surprised  at  the 
good  things,  and  more  surprised  at  the  prices  (of 
which  I  will  write  later).  This  hotel  is  certainly  mag- 
nificent ;  the  finest  and  largest  hotel  we  have  ever 
seen  at  home  or  abroad.  It  is  built  around  a  huge 
courtyard,  with  balconies  about,  on  each  floor,  and  on 
four  sides.  Easy  chairs  and  sofas  line  these  balconies, 
and  make  a  most  delightful  place  to  sit,  at  any  time 
of  the  day  or  evening,  but  especially  on  Monday 
and  Friday  evenings,  during  "  Concert  hours.'*  The 
halls  of  the  hotel  are  huge  and  well  kept,  the  ele- 
vators are  many, — the  bell-men  and  porters,  and 
chambermaids,  are  the  best  to  be  had. 

This  morning,  James  decided  that  we  would  rest 
and  do  nothing,  as  it  was  disagreeable  and  rainy.  I 
went  to  my  room  and  to  the  table  in  the  bay  window* 
and  wrote  as  fast  as  I  could  on  my  journal.  About 
half  past  five,  we  decided  to  go  out  for  dinner ;  so 
"we  three," — Mr.  H.  having  joined  us, — went  to  a 
place  across  the  street,  kept  by  a  man  named  Swain, 
and  then  the  question  arose,  '*  what  shall  we  eat  ?  " 
"Oh,  anything,"  I  said,  "  only  don't  ask  me  to  or- 
der." Just  then  a  sign  on  the  wall  attracted  us, — 
"  French  dinner,  50  cents."  "  Let's  try  that,"  I  sug- 
gested.    To  be  sure,  the  service  and  appointments 

96 


were  not  like  Delmonico's  ;  they  filled  the  glass  water- 
pitcher  on  each  table,  from  a  big  tin  pail,  and  we  ate 
with  rather  thinly  plated  spoons,  but  it  was  a  most 
remarkable  repast  for  the  price.  James  and  I  then 
took  a  very  short  stroll  up  Market  street,  and  re- 
turning to  the  Palace,  we  made  Mr.  and  Mrs.  V.  G.  a 
short  call. 

The  Kodak  photos  came  to  us  to-day,  and  we 
have  looked  at  them  a  dozen  times  already.  They 
are  so  good,  and  Mr.  V.  G.  is  so  pleased,  that  he  has 
borrowed  over  a  dozen  of  the  films,  and  will  have 
more  struck  off  for  himself.  He  is  a  good  friend  of 
"  the  Duke  "  as  he  always  calls  Jamie. 

FRIDAY,  JUNE    I2TH. 

T  OVELY  in  the  morning,  dismal  and  foggy  at 
noon,  but  clear  in  the  afternoon.  We  were 
invited  to  go  with  Miss  B.,  her  father  and  sister, 
and  Mr.  H.  to  visit  Leiand  Stanford's  celebrated 
stable  at  Palo  Alto : — we  were  to  start  at  ten 
o'clock,  but  I  felt  so  miserably  this  morning,  that 
James  would  not  let  me  go,  and  he  sent  a  note  to 
make  our  excuses.  We  spent  most  of  the  morning 
in  our  room,  receiving  a  visit  about  two  o'clock, 
from  our  kind  friends,  who  told  us  they  had  given 
up  the  trip  to  the  stables,  because  we  could  not  go 
with  them.  Then  these  two  dear  friends  told  us, 
what  we  had  been  most  anxious  should  come  to  pass, 
that  they  were  engaged  to  be  married.  The  symp- 
toms of  Cupid's  work  had  been  very  evident  to 

97 


James  and  me ;  and  our  own  sweet  experience  made 
us  feel  that  we  were  competent  to  judge,  in  such 
matters.  We  rejoiced,  when  told  that  Mr.  H.  would 
wait  awhile,  and  take  his  bride  home  with  him ;  and 
James  and  I  are  to  take  the  **  bridegroom  elect  '*  away 
with  us,  to  Monterey.  How  little  James  and  I 
thought,  when  we  left  home,  that  we  would  have  a 
part  so  soon  in  a  love  affair !  It  is  truly  a  delight 
to  see  young  people  so  much  in  love,  and  I  do  hope 
heartaches  may  be  spared  them  forever.  We  are 
glad  to  be  of  aid  in  such  happiness,  however ;  but 
James  often  says,  he  wishes  he  could  be  sure,  that  all 
our  friends  could  have  the  sweet  and  blissful  hap- 
piness and  contentment,  that  are  ours.  Few  are  so 
blessed,  and  few  are  more  thankful  than  we  are. 
Surely  a  married  life  like  our  own,  with  its  perfect 
trust,  and  love,  and  confidence,  is  a  bit  of  Heaven  on 
earth,  the  highest  and  sweetest  and  best  of  all  God's 
blessings  to  His  children. 

A  package  arrived  from  home  this  afternoon,  while 
we  were  sitting  together,  and  of  course  I  opened  it 
at  once,  and  began  to  peep  into  the  two  boxes. 
Suddenly  an  envelope  slipped  out,  and  *'  M.  A.  H." 
seized  it  with  a  hug,  for  it  was  all  her  own.  Open- 
ing it,  I  found  a  tiny  envelope,  enclosed  in  which 
was  a  great  yellow  velvet  pansy,  with  its  sweet 
heart  full  of  gold,  which  I  know  had  grown  right 
by  the  Library  window  at  home.  With  it  were 
some  verses  for  me,  which  I  began  to  read,  when 
James  called  to  me  "  read  it  aloud,  May,  don't  be 

98 


selfish  ;  "  so,  while  our  two  friends  and  James  lis- 
tened, I  read  the  sweetest  of  verses  ever  written,  by 
a  mother  to  her  daughter : 

"/^NLY  a  pansy  blossom, 

Plucked  by  a  gentle  hand, 
To  send  far  away, 
To  loved  ones,  who  stray 
Across  this  broad,  beautiful  land. 

A  modest  plebeian  flower, 
Of  lowly  and  humble  birth,  — 

Yet  in  its  short  day, 

And  in  its  own  way. 
It  gladdens  the  face  of  the  earth. 

Look  into  its  heart,  where  the  yellow 
Is  deepened,  as  if  by  a  blush, — 

And  a  dark,  heavy  shade, 

A  wall  round  it  has  made. 
To  hold  it,  and  keep  it, — for  hush 

Now,  while  there  is  no  one  to  listen. 
And  softly  'twill  whisper  to  you, 

How,  with  tenderest  care, 

A  treasure  to  bear, 
It  has  hastened  the  long  journey  through. 

For  lips,  that  are  aching  and  longing 
To  press  themselves  close  to  your  own, — 

But  now  denied  this. 

Have  planted  a  kiss 
Deep  down  in  its  heart,  where  alone — 

99 


Close  in  the  embrace  of  the  petals. 
Held  in  by  the  dark  wall  around, 

Securely  it  lies. 

As  onward  it  flies. 
And  there,  all  unharmed,  may  be  found- 
So,  just  for  a  moment,  pray  hold  it 
Close  up  to  your  own  fair  warm  cheek. 

And  into  your  ear. 

While  it  nestles  near, 
A  message  of  love  it  will  speak. 

And  if  to  your  own  lips  you  press  it. 
You  will  think  of  one  far,  far  away, 

Whose  love  you  may  miss. 

So  she  sends  you  a  kiss — 
With  a  prayer,  that  God  bless  you  each  day. 

Only  a  pansy  blossom, — 
A  plain  little  everyday  thing, 

That  never  has  guessed 

How  it  might  be  pressed 
Into  service,  my  message  to  bring." 

I  could  hardly  read  it  through,  for  I  had  such  a 
time  swallowing ;  but  I  thought  it  was  my  love  for 
the  writer,  which  made  every  word  sink  deep  into 
my  heart,  for  it  was  written  entirely  for  me,  without 
a  thought  that  any  other  eye  would  ever  see  it,  or  ear 
hear  it.  But,  when  I  finished,  every  one  was  so  si- 
lent, that  I  looked  up  enquiringly ;  and  the  three 
were  in  tears.  "  My  gracious,  that  would  melt  a 
heart  of  stone!'*  said  Mr.  H.  "Mother  is  an  an- 
gel ! "  stammered   James.      ''  It's   beautiful ! "   and 


Miss  B.  could  say  no  more,  but  put  out  her  hand  in 
silence  for  the  letter,  and  the  little  golden  heartsease. 
She  took  the  little  pansy  and  looked  at  it  so  lovingly, 
and  then,  as  James  and  Mr.  H.  left  us,  we  had  a 
sweet  heart  to  heart  talk,  and  were  firm  friends 
from  that  moment,  and  forever,  I  hope.  I  wished 
that  the  little  mother  could  have  looked  into  my 
room,  in  San  Francisco,  at  that  moment,  and  realized 
the  mission  of  the  little  flower. 

After  dinner  together,  and  an  enjoyable  concert, 
it  being  Friday,  and  Concert  Night,  at  the  Palace 
Hotel,  our  friends  left  us  and  we  retired. 

SATURDAY,  JUNE  13TH. 

T  OVELY  weather  again.  James  and  I  took 
breakfast  and  luncheon  together,  as  we  awoke 
quite  late.  After  writing  a  little.  Miss  B.  came 
with  Mr.  H.;  we  wandered  out,  and  as  usual  drifted 
into  fascinating  Chinatown,  hunting  for  embroidered 
gowns.  Fong  Lang  Lung  was  most  anxious  to 
please  us.  We  know  these  Chinamen  so  well  now, 
and  they  have  taught  us  to  say  in  the  Chinese 
language  **  How  do  you  do,"  "Thank  you,"  and 
"  Good-bye."  The  first  sounds  as  if  it  was  spelled 
"Noo-lah."  Thank  you  sounds  like  *' Tar-tare," 
and  good-bye  is  "  Ten-or."  Mrs.  V.  G.  was  told  in 
Providence,  at  one  time,  to  say  a  certain  Chinese 
word,  whenever  she  wanted  to  particularly  please 
any  Chinaman;  therefore,  whenever  a  Chinaman 
came  for  her  laundry  work,  or  whenever  she  spoke  to 


any  Celestial  on  the  street,  she  would  say  it,  thinking 
it  was  some  specially  polite  greeting.  After  months 
of  practice,  and  much  wonder  why  she  made  no  im- 
pression, because  of  her  fluent  use  of  the  Chinese 
language,  she  was  told  one  day,  that  she  should  not 
use  that  expression,  as  it  was  a  genuine  Chinese 
oath. 

These  Chinese  merchants  are  so  funny,  and  yet 
so  serious.  Only  once  have  we  been  surprised  by 
any  unusual  brilliancy,  and  that  was  to-day,  when  we 
expostulated  about  the  price  of  a  gown,  and  the 
Chinaman's  answer  made  us  laugh.  "Well,"  he 
said,  "  it  must  be  higher  in  price  now,  because,  you 
know,  the  *  McKinley  bill'  " — but  his  sentence  was 
never  finished.  So  the  McKinley  bill  had  reached 
Chinatown  too !  We  took  our  camera  to  this  inter- 
esting quarter  to-day,  and  one  Chinaman  escorted 
me  to  a  side  street,  that  I  might  try  to  take  a  photo- 
graph of  some  tiny  tots  there.  He  gave  them 
candy  and  they  were  pleased;  but  when  they  saw 
me  with  my  little  box,  they  ran  away  like  mice,  and 
huddling  close  together,  with  their  faces  hidden,  they 
cried  pitifully.  It  made  my  heart  ache,  and  I  called 
to  them  not  to  be  afraid  ;  but  the  poor  little  things, 
the  more  I  said,  the  more  they  cried,  because  they 
could  not  understand  me.  One  funny  little  speci- 
men was  too  young  to  be  afraid,  and  stood  looking 
enquiringly  at  me ;  but  the  moment  his  father  spied 
me,  he  snatched  up  the  little  fellow  and  ran  into  the 
house.     We  did  not  have  much  luck  to-day,  but  we 


intend  trying  again,  when  our  guide  will  go  with  us. 
The  Chinese  are  like  the  Indians  ;  they  are  supersti- 
tious from  ignorance,  and  afraid  to  have  their  photo- 
graphs taken.  They  think  you  have  taken  some 
advantage  of  them,  when  you  obtain  any  likeness 
of  them. 

SUNDAY,  JUNE  14TH. 

"\  1  rE  slept  late  this  morning  and  did  not  go  out  to 

church.  After  lunch,  I  wrote  in  my  journal, 
willing,  however,  to  drop  my  pen  at  any  moment,  if 
James  desired  to  go  out,  but  I  was  quite  pleased  to 
remain  indoors  for  one  day  at  least.  We  thought 
at  first  we  would  take  a  drive  in  Golden  Gate  Park, 
but  it  was  so  awfully  windy,  dusty  and  cold,  that  we 
postponed  it.  Mr.  H.  came  in  for  about  two  hours, 
but  left  us  at  five  o'clock,  and  I  have  been  writing 
ever  since.  I  never  knew  such  long  twilights  !  It  is 
brilliant  sunshine,  until  nearly  half  past  eight. 

Miss  Emma  Thursby  called  on  us  yesterday, 
with  her  sister,  but  I  was  out.  Jamie  sent  her 
some  flowers  this  morning.  Sunday  morning  is  the 
great  flower  morning,  and  I  had  three  of  the  most 
magnificent  bouquets  sent  me,  I  have  ever  seen. 
One  is  over  twenty-two  inches  in  diameter,  and  more 
than  one  could  carry.  It  is  composed  of  white,  tea, 
and  red  roses,  beautiful  pink  carnations,  heliotrope, 
maiden*s  hair  fern,  mignonette,  and  dusted  all  over 
with  the  most  delicate  little  white  flower.  The 
other  two  are  more  exquisite,  yellow  roses  in  the 

103 


middle,  surrounded  by  maiden*s  hair  fern  and  pink 
carnations  and  heliotrope,  make  a  sort  of  raised 
centre.  This  is  surrounded  by  a  band,  five  inches 
deep,  of  pansies,  solid,  and  numbering  about  three 
hundred  pansies,  at  the  least  calculation.  They  are 
all  dark  purple  ones,  with  a  yellow  heart  once  in  a 
while ;  and  around  the  edge,  against  a  fern  border,  lie 
the  delicate  white  feathery  flowers  and  pink  carna- 
tions again.  It  is  a  dream  in  color  !  Nothing  was 
big  enough  to  hold  them,  so  "  Whiskers  "  the  colored 
man,  brought  me  three  silver  pitchers,  and  my  room 
is  a  flower  garden.  When  we  came  up  from  break- 
fast and  opened  our  door,  James  exclaimed:  "It 
smells  just  like  a  funeral !  " 

There  are  two  colored  bell-men  on  this  floor,  one 
named  Charles,  who  is  devotion  itself  to  us.  He 
asked  me  to  take  his  photograph,  and  he  was  as 
pleased  as  the  Chinese  were  horrified.  The  cham- 
bermaid asked  me  this  evening,  if  we  had  been 
married  long ;  and  when  I  told  her,  she  exclaimed, 
"  Oh  my !  we  thought  you  were  bride  and  groom  ! 
I  told  Charlie  the  other  day,  that  I  had  a  bride  and 
groom  in  946,  surely,  because  the  husband  was 
always  sending  her  flowers  and  lemonade ;  and  we 
were  all  wondering  how  long  it  would  last." 

MONDAY,  JUNE    15TH. 

T^HIS   morning  we  were   up   soon   after    seven 

o'clock,  breakfasted  about   eight,   and    were 

ready  for  guests  in  our  room,  at  nine  o'clock.     Miss 

104 


B.  had  ordered  two  Chinamen  to  come  to  our  room 
at  that  time,  with  Chinese  gowns  for  her  selection, 
as  it  was  more  convenient  for  her,  and  for  us. 

Later,  Miss  B.'s  sweet  sister,  Ivy,  with  Mr.  H., 
James  and  myself,  started  for  Chinatown  again. 
James  was  specially  anxious  to  get  some  photo- 
graphs with  our  own  camera  there,  and  so  we  had 
planned  to  meet  our  guide,  that  he  might  pilot  us 
up  and  down  alleys,  where  we  would  not  go  alone ; 
and  he  had  as  much  trouble  in  getting  subjects  for 
us  to  photograph,  as  we  would  have  had  ourselves. 
While  the  guide  had  gone  to  try  and  persuade  the 
little  girl,  who  sang  for  us  the  other  night,  to  let  us 
photograph  her.  Ivy  and  I  wandered  around  the 
corner  of  the  street,  a  very  little  way,  waiting  for 
James  and  the  guide  to  join  us.  Ivy  stood  near 
me,  when  suddenly  a  swarm  of  Chinese  men  sur- 
rounded me,  at  my  back,  and  on  each  side  ;  and  when 
I  spoke  to  them,  and  pointed  to  my  little  detective 
finder,  they  crowded  around  me  and  looked  at  it 
eagerly.  One  or  two  Chinamen  walked  in  front  of 
the  camera  once  or  twice,  and  did  not  discover  it  at 
first,  but  when  they  did,  you  never  saw  men  dis- 
perse more  quickly.  They  are  afraid  to  have  their 
photographs  taken,  and  yet  they  were  full  of  curi- 
osity to  look  into  my  funny  black  box.  No  power 
on  earth  could  persuade  them  to  let  me  take  their 
pictures.  Our  good  friend  "  Louie,"  a  Chinaman  at 
Fong  Lang  Lung's  shop,  was  the  only  sensible  man 
among  them,  and  he  agreed  willingly  to  have  his 

105 


photograph  taken.  James  and  the  guide  would 
stand  in  the  street  in  front  of  me,  and  I  was  there- 
fore hidden ;  but  whenever  a  little  child  came  along, 
or  a  woman,  and  stood  in  full  sunlight,  they  would 
step  aside,  and  I  would  snap  my  picture.  It  was 
awfully  exciting  work,  and  I  was  quite  in  a  tremble 
when  we  had  finished.  I  took  at  least  fourteen  in 
Chinatown.  We  did  not  succeed  in  taking  build- 
ings,— the  streets  and  alleys  were  too  narrow  and 
dark. 

We  reached  the  Palace  Hotel,  at  half-past  one 
o'clock,  then  had  luncheon,  after  which  James,  Mr. 
H.  and  I  went  out  to  inquire  about  our  trip  to  Mon- 
terey. We  were  back  at  four  o'clock,  then  I  wrote 
my  journal.  James  and  I  spent  our  evening  on  the 
balcony,  on  the  second  floor  of  the  Court,  with  our 
friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  V.  G.,  and  were  also  joined 
by  Mr.  H.  and  Miss  B.;  and  the  concert  was  de- 
lightful. 

TUESDAY,  JUNE   i6TH. 

Wl  E  have  been  painfully  tired  of  San  Francisco 
for  several  days,  and  have  felt  that  we  have 
had  enough  of  large  cities,  for  awhile  at  least,  but  we 
have  been  waiting  a  few  days  to  know  what  our 
good  friend  Mr.  H.  would  decide  to  do.  Finally, 
yesterday,  James  and  I  grew  desperate,  and  decided 
we  would  go  to  Monterey,  or  rather  to  what  people 
call  *'  Del  Monte,  Monterey,"  to  distinguish  it  from 
the  little  village  of  Monterey.     We  arranged  for  it, 

io6 


and  Mr.  H.  then  decided  to  go  with  us,  to  our  de- 
light. 

We  left  San  Francisco  to-day,  on  the  2.30  P.  M. 
train,  and  our  trip  to  Del  Monte  was  a  lovely  one. 
It  was  terribly  hot,  however,  between  85  and  88  de- 
grees,— the  first  really  hot  day  we  have  had.  I  had 
heard  of  the  lovely  trip  to  Del  Monte,  of  the  beau- 
tiful country-places  of  California's  millionaires, — of 
the  wonderful  trees,  which  only  grow  in  this  portion 
of  the  United  States  ;  but  when  we  first  started  out, 
and  flew  rapidly  over  salt  marshes,  with  flat,  unin- 
teresting country  about  them,  I  was  wonderfully 
disappointed.  Soon,  however,  as  if  touched  by 
magic  and  a  fairy  wand,  the  country  changed,  and 
such  beauty  I  never  saw.  It  seemed  as  if  all  Cali- 
fornia was  haying, — for  the  country,  for  miles,  was  all 
covered  with  golden  mounds, — in  regular  rows 
sometimes,  like  soldiers, — then  again  a  hill-side 
would  be  peppered  irregularly.  It  seemed  to  me 
that  Dame  Fashion,  in  originating  styles  for  this 
summer,  must  have  travelled  in  this  country,  so 
spotted  over  with  little  button  hay-mounds,  and  in 
that  way  received  the  inspiration  for  our  summer 
fashion  of  dotting  waists  and  sleeves  all  over,  with 
jet  or  gems  ;  and  nature  had  in  this  instance  the  start 
of  fashion,  and  had  "  set  the  style." 

The  hills,  on  which  the  harvest  had  already  been 
reaped  and  garnered,  were  most  exquisite  in  the 
sunshine, — like  old-gold  plush,  and  making  the 
lights  and  shades  most  velvety  and  deep.     Every 

107 


once  in  a  while,  great  twisted  trunks  of  trees,  some- 
times singly,  sometimes  in  groups,  would  add  their 
beauty  to  the  scene,  with  the  most  marvelous  dark 
foliage,  so  dense  sometimes  as  to  admit  no  light 
whatever.  These  darkly  beautiful  trees,  against  the 
golden  hill-side,  made  wonderful  effects ;  and  all 
along  the  views  were  changing,  filling  us  with  won- 
der and  delight.  The  great  dark  giants  are  indi- 
genous to  the  coast  in  California,  and  mostly  to 
Monterey  County,  and  are  called  "  Monterey  Pines.'* 
Their  "  Live  Oak "  is  a  variety  unknown  to  us  in 
the  East,  and  also  indigenous  to  this  quarter  of  the 
globe.  It  is  a  lower  tree  than  the  pine,  with  twisted, 
knotted  trunks  and  feathered  foliage,  not  so  dense  or 
dark.  At  times,  its  branches  are  hung  with  a  queer 
"  greybeard  moss,"  which  drapes  itself  gracefully 
from  branch  to  branch.  Great  groves  of  these  two 
trees  made  beautiful  views,  and  especially  with  the 
remarkable  golden  background.  Vineyards  were  in 
great  numbers, — some  were  so  full  and  rich,  others 
seemingly  just  planted,  and  vegetable  gardens, 
,  which  were  a  pleasure  to  the  eye,  so  finely  kept  and 
so  fully  grown.  We  saw  some  magnificent  resi- 
dences— and  such  luxurious  homes  without,  made 
us  long  to  look  within,  for  the  surroundings  were 
gorgeous.  The  growth  of  vegetation  is  remarkable 
all  through  this  State, — much  more  wonderful  to 
us,  than  the  most  glowing  accounts  ever  pictured. 
Even  at  the  railroad  stations,  the  great  palms  and 
cactus  plants  were  all  about,  on  the  platforms,  in 

io8 


little  flower  pots,  and  such  wonderful  vines  cover- 
ing telegraph  poles  and  everything  else — roses 
in  vases  and  on  bushes,  nasturtiums  in  brilliant  col- 
ors, all  so  beautiful  and  attractive. 

We  were  three  hours  and  a  quarter  coming  to 
Del  Monte,  and  therefore  reached  here  at  $.43  P.  M. 
Our  first  view  was  enchanting  !  Luxurious  bushes 
and  fine  trees,  picturesque  walks  as  well,  commence 
from  the  very  station  ;  and  all  this  was  enhanced  by 
some  stunning  equipages,  little  donkey  carts,  etc., 
for  the  richest  people  of  California  come  to  this 
**  Heaven  upon  earth."  James  was  fairly  wild  with 
delight.  He  went  down  to  be  shaved,  shortly  after 
we  arrived,  and  he  came  flying  back  and  said,  "  I 
came  near  telegraphing  mother  that  we  had  reached 
Heaven, — I  never  saw  such  beauty,  May,"  etc.,  etc. 
It  is  the  loveliest  spot,  in  every  possible  way,  that 
I  can  dream  ever  could  exist.  I  have  never  seen 
such  perfect  beauty.  After  getting  dressed  and 
dining,  Mr.  H.,  James  and  I  walked  out  about  the 
hotel  for  an  hour  or  more  ;  then  we  strolled  to  a 
cunning  little  club-house,  so  picturesquely  placed  in 
a  beautiful  grove  of  trees,  where  every  game,  from 
Ten  Pins  to  Pool,  is  played  by  ladies,  as  well  as 
gentlemen. 

WEDNESDAY,  JUNE    17TH. 

TIT  EAVEN  is  undoubtedly  more  lovely  and  glor- 
ious than  we  mortals  can  picture,  or  paint  to 
ourselves,  in  our  highest  moods,  more  inspiring,  and 

109 


exalting  and  beautiful ;  but,  Del  Monte  is  as  near 
my  ideal  of  beauty,  natural  and  artificial  means 
combined,  as  any  spot  on  earth  that  I  have  ever 
seen,  or  any  ideal  or  picture  I  can  make  in  my  mind 
of  Heaven.  We  have  seen  the  "Garden  of  the 
Gods,"  beautiful  in  name  and  actual  splendor ;  but 
Del  Monte  is  so  exquisite,  and  delicate,  and  dainty, 
that  one  feels  as  if  the  sky  had  opened  and  let  down 
a  little  of  its  choicest  charms,  and  gathered  them  all 
together  in  this  one  place.  It  seems  like  the  "  Gate 
of  Heaven,"  and  makes  one  pause  in  awe  and  won- 
der, at  the  beauties  of  Nature,  and  the  riches  of  her 
boundless  store.  "  You  cannot  describe  Del  Monte," 
a  near  neighbor  and  travelling  companion  of  mine 
has  said;  but  its  beauties  have  sunk  so  deep  into  my 
innermost  heart,  that  I  must  try  to  describe,  to  the 
best  of  my  ability,  a  little  of  the  hotel  and  its 
surroundings. 

"  El  Monte,"  or  '*  The  Forest "  was  the  name  of 
a  hotel,  standing  where  the  new  one  is  now,  which 
was  burned  down  two  years  ago  ;  and  Del  Monte, 
"  Of  (or  in)  the  Forest "  is  the  name  of  the  mag- 
nificent new  structure,  which  is  one  of  the  most 
delightful  hotels  we  have  ever  been  in,  in  appoint- 
ment and  service.  The  building  itself  covers  six 
and  a  half  acres,  and  is  so  huge  that,  from  the  end  of 
one  wing  of  the  hotel,  to  the  end  of  the  other  wing, 
is  one  third  of  a  mile.  It  is  built  with  many  piazzas 
and  doors,  many,  many  windows, — in  fact  some 
passages  are  all  windows.   It  is  beautiful  within,  with 


"  all  the  comforts  of  home,'*  and  heavenly  without. 
About  the  house — on  every  and  all  sides — in  every 
available  nook  and  corner,  are  plants,  flowers,  great 
trees,  of  different  kinds  of  palms,  dates,  banana 
trees,  foliage  beds  of  rare  and  marvelously  beauti- 
ful designs,  in  such  variety  of  figures,  squares, 
rounds,  oblongs  and  circles,  that  one  is  bewildered 
and  confused,  one  minute  declaring,  that  there  never 
was  such  an  exquisite  Turkish  rug  in  plants,  only  to 
turn  and  find  another  of  such  greater  beauty,  that 
adjectives  and  superlatives  grow  scarce  and  weak, 
and  one  becomes  silent  (perhaps  for  the  first  time  in 
life).  Out  of  every  window,  in  whatever  direction 
one  looks,  beautiful  and  rare  flowers  are  everywhere 
seen,  in  novel  combinations ;  and  as  I  have  said 
before,  all  colors  seem  intensified  in  this  warm  south- 
ern climate.  About  every  doorway,  along  the  rail- 
ings of  the  balconies,  hanging  with  hundreds  of 
blossoms,  are  climbing  rose  bushes,  so  full  and  large 
and  big,  that  one  stands  to  count  the  roses,  only  to 
move  on  the  next  minute,  realizing  what  a  hopeless 
task  it  is.  Red,  pink,  and  white  roses,  great  big 
ones,  filling  the  air  with  the  most  exquisite  perfume, 
and  clinging  so  lovingly  to  every  post. 

Soon  after  breakfast  this  morning,  James,  Mr.  H. 
and  I  wandered  out  on  the  grounds.  One  hundred 
and  eight  acres  are  under  cultivation,  and  hundreds 
of  Chinamen,  and  others,  are  every  day  at  work,  keep- 
ing lawns,  beds  and  walks  in  perfect  order.  Such 
trees!  Cypresses,  with  their  tall  straight  trunks,  and 


deep-toned  foliage  (like  the  evergreens),  Monterey 
pines,  so  high-toned  and  aristocratic,  and  the 
short,  stubby  and  thick  set  Live  Oaks,  with  their 
feathery  foliage,  make  the  grounds  of  Del  Monte 
most  beautiful.  Hundreds  and  hundreds  of  these 
trees,  are  every  one  covered  thickly,  about  twenty 
or  thirty  feet  up  the  trunk,  with  the  most  luxurious 
growth  of  ivy.  Jamie  said,  at  least  a  score  of  times, 
*'  What  wouldn't  Mother  give  for  just  one  such  vine, 
to  coax,  and  watch,  and  tack  up."  Dear  boy !  his  en- 
thusiasm knew  no  bounds,  and  he  grew  absolutely 
worn  out  exclaiming.  In  the  grove  about  the 
house,  there  is  the  most  beautiful  rose  garden,  with 
thousands  of  plants,  and  hundreds  of  varieties  of 
roses,  all  named  for  Rose-study.  Another  garden  is 
full  of  all  kinds  of  cactus  growth,  and  is  most  weird 
and  strange.  Queer  things,  with  marvelous  shapes 
and  wonderful  growths,  and  awful  names,  are  so 
many,  that  it  needs  several  visits  to  see  and  appre- 
ciate all.  All  through  the  grounds,  among  the  trees, 
are  great  beds  of  creeping  vines,  myrtle  in  flower ; 
and  all  the  beds  and  borders  are  overflowing  with 
such  quantities  of  flowers,  and  such  marvelous 
blending  of  colors,  that  each  view  one  has,  is  a  pict- 
ure in  itself.  Tennis  courts  appeared  every  once 
in  a  while,  as  we  walked, — made  courts,  surrounded 
by  high  wire  fences,  and  these  fences  are  over- 
grown with  vines — poppies,  forget-me-nots,  daisies, 
heliotrope,  forming  borders  all  about  the  enclos- 
ures.      Swings    for    children,    rustic    vine-covered 


benches  for  lovers,  sunny  seats  for  sun-bath  invalids, 
and  a  "  Maze  "  to  tempt  people  into  its  embrace, 
and  then  make  them  **  swear  a  blue  streak  "  before 
they  can  get  out. 

"We  three"  approached  this  marvelous  terrace 
of  pine  hedge,  cut  in  such  beautiful  arches,  with 
hedge  vases,  urns,  etc.,  and  as  we  peeped  into  its 
high-walled  walks,  I  said  "  let's  go  in  a  minute." 
Woe  betide  the  wicked  spirit  that  tempted  me  that 
day!  Three  innocent,  unsuspecting  mortals  en- 
tered the  evergreen  portals,  and  amused  and  curi- 
ous, wandered  along  a  straight,  narrow  path,  walled 
in  with  hedges.  Turning  a  corner,  we  came  to  an- 
other long  way,  parallel  with  our  first  promenade. 
Idly,  we  continued  on,  coming  now  to  a  queer, 
short  little  turn,  then  a  corner,  and  so  on,  always 
between  the  same  green  walls,  until  we  felt  wearied 
by  the  monotony,  and  decided  we  had  had  enough. 
Signs  faced  us  at  every  turn, — "  Do  not  break  through 
the  hedges."  "What  lunacy,"  I  exclaimed  to  my 
companions, — "  who  wants  to  crawl  through  hedges?" 
but  how  I  longed  to  break  through  rule  and 
hedges  later !  "  Let's  go  out,"  James  calmly  called. 
We  turned  to  retrace  our  steps,  but  they  would  not 
retrace,  for  somehow,  or  other,  the  corners  we  had 
turned,  and  the  long,  straight  aisles,  had  all  moved, 
and  such  funny  little  short  walks  were  ours  now. 
Mr.  H.  had  dragged  his  cane  in  walking  along,  I 
had  noticed,  and  he  now  owned  up,  that  he  had 
done  it  on  purpose  to  guide  us,  in  making  an  exit. 

"3 


But  some  other  fellow  had  had  the  same  dreadful 
idea,  and  dragged  his  cane  also  ;  and  soon  we  missed 
our  trail  and  were  lost,  absolutely.  We  were  very, 
very  hot,  and  some  of  us  were  getting  a  bit  anxious 
and  excited,  for  it  seemed  hopeless,  and  dinner 
hour  was  approaching.  Suddenly  James  exclaimed, 
"  Here's  the  way — we  haven't  passed  that  barbed 
wire  before — come  along  this  way  ;  "  and  we  went 
along  that  way,  and  after  a  tramp  we  came  right 
into  a  bench,  and  the  end  of  that  aisle  !  All  this 
time  we  could  hear  voices  in  some  hidden  path,  and 
once  in  a  while,  we  could  see  a  light  dress  move 
along,  but  merriment  had  melted,  and  solemn  de- 
spair reigned.  We  continued  to  wander  and  wan- 
der, and  seemed  to  be  revolving  about  a  hollow 
square,  but  although  we  knew  it  was  "  The  Centre," 
we  could  not  get  there.  We  were  standing  still 
and  quite  silent  outwardly,  no  matter  what  was  go- 
ing on  inwardly,  when  a  man  and  a  maiden  ap- 
proached us.  Formality  had  fled,  and  I  gasped  out, 
*' Will  you  please  tell  us  the  way  out?"  Imagine 
our  despair,  when  the  young  woman  answered, 
*'  We've  been  hunting  it  for  a  half  hour,  and  we 
can't  find  any  way  to  get  out."  ''Thank  you," 
we  three  hopelessly  gasped.  "  Let's  make  a  grand 
effort,  now,"  chirped  Mr.  H.  We  solemnly  filed  in 
line,  and  after  the  second  turn,  we  walked  into  "  The 
Centre,"  which  we  had  not  been  able  to  reach  be- 
fore. Seats  surrounded  the  square,  and  we  sank 
down,  exhausted.     Suddenly  in  walked  our  couple, 

114 


— it  was  their  ninth  entrance, — they  would  always 
turn  up  there,  when  they  were  trying  to  get  out. 
Flying  along  the  sandy  paths,  we  met  constantly 
the  same  sad  man,  tearing  along  as  if  an  evil  spirit 
was  after  him  We  asked  him  pleadingly,  if  he 
knew  the  way  out.  With  his  teeth  tightly  set,  he 
whistled  out  *'  can't  find  it,"  and  away  he  went,  as 
mad  a  man  as  you  could  ever  find.  James  and  Mr. 
H.  were  just  beginning  to  suggest  taking  off  coats 
and  vests  while  they  rested,  but  the  ninth  entrance 
of  the  other  lost  babes  restrained  them.  Joining 
forces,  we  five  began  to  wander  again,  leaving  with 
regret,  after  all,  as  we  hated  to  leave  a  certainty  for 
an  uncertainty,  as  we  had  found  the  centre,  and 
were  still  in  doubt  about  the  entrance,  and  way 
out.  James  and  Mr.  H.  made  up  their  minds  that 
there  was  some  rule  about  it  all, — that  either  all  left 
hand  turns,  or  vice  versa,  was  sure  to  do  something, 
— so  leaving  marks  in  the  sand  at  crossings,  we 
marched  ahead,  and  after  ten  or  fifteen  minutes, 
perhaps  less,  we  saw  the  daylight  coming  in,  and 
like  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  when  they  landed  on 
Plymouth  Rock, — we  each  said  a  little  thanksgiving 
in  our  hearts,  I  am  sure.  We  heard  the  mad  fellow 
tearing  about,  as  we  were  coming  out.  Oh,  what  a 
maze  that  is :  people  have  been  caught  in  there  for 
hours  sometimes, — lost  their  dinners  and  tempers, 
and  yet  all  came  out  alive.  It  was  an  adventure, 
and  one  that  makes  us  roar  with  laughter,  now  it  is 
over ;  but  we  wanted  to  warn  everybody,  after  that. 


A  little  visit  to  the  Club-house,  and  some  cooling 
lemonade  refreshed  us  all,  and  we  went  afterwards 
to  see  the  green  houses  and  have  a  chat  with  the 
gardener,  by  which  we  profited,  as  he  gave  us  much 
information.  Flowers  are  exquisite  here,  some 
bloom  all  winter  in  the  open  air. 

THURSDAY,  JUNE    i8TH. 

P  XQUISITE,  beautiful,  lovely,  and  such  a  day 
for  the  drive  we  took!  We  breakfasted  at 
nine-twenty,  then  started  at  ten  o'clock,  in  a  com- 
fortable carriage,  for  what  Del  Monte  people  call 
'*  the  eighteen  mile  drive."  It  was  a  drive  never  to 
be  forgotten,  as  it  took  us,  for  ten  miles  or  more, 
along  the  shore  of  the  great  Pacific  Ocean  ;  and  as 
we  gazed  at  the  beautiful  surf,  and  watched  the 
great  waves  roll  in  and  dash  so  high,  we  realized, 
for  the  first  time,  that  we  had  absolutely  crossed  our 
Continent,  from  ocean  to  ocean,  and  were  gazing 
toward  Japan  and  China,  with  nothing  but  the  open 
sea  between  us  and  those  marvelous  countries.  It 
made  me  feel  queerly,  for  a  few  moments,  and  I 
just  stood  still  on  those  great  rocks  on  the  shore, 
and  thought  to  myself,  "  Can  this  be  I,  or  am  I 
dreaming;  and  am  I  really  not  here,  but  only  imag- 
ine that  I  am  ?  "  But  that  philosophy  of  the  Ger- 
mans would  not  satisfy  me  then,  and  I  took  a  good 
breath  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  salt  breeze,  and — was 
myself  again. 

Our  drive,  at  first,  was  through  the  old  Mexican 

1x6 


town  of  Monterey;  and  the  guide-book  informed 
us,  that  "  Monterey  was  the  capital  of  California, 
when  the  territory  was  acquired  by  the  United 
States,  and  it  is  the  place  where  General  Fremont 
first  raised  the  stars  and  stripes,  and  took  formal 
possession  of  the  country."  Many  buildings  still 
stand  that  were  built  by  the  Mexicans,  and  queer, 
quaint  structures  they  are,  dingy  and  old,  but  inter- 
esting in  their  antique  style  of  architecture.  We 
saw  one  enclosure  where,  in  olden  times,  the  inhab- 
itants used  to  have  bull-fights,  for  their  amusement 
and  recreation.  We  saw  the  house  where  General 
Sherman  lived,  when  stationed  here;  also  where 
General  Fremont  camped,  and  tried  to  protect — 
something. 

We  drove  for  miles,  through  the  most  interesting 
country,  and  finally  came  to  Pacific  Grove,  a  sum- 
mer resort  and  bathing-place.  "  The  Church  of 
Aunt  Mary"  amused  us  greatly,  on  account  of  its 
unique  name. 

We  had  the  funniest  old  driver  we  had  ever 
chanced  to  meet, — a  queer,  quaint  man  of  over 
sixty,  but  with  a  fresh  and  ready  wit,  really  amus- 
ing. His  name  was  Alexander  Early.  "  Queer 
name,  ain't  it  ? "  he  said,  when  he  told  us.  "  Do 
you  see  that  little  house  ?  "  he  added,  after  a  while, 
as  we  passed  a  pretty,  modest  little  cottage,  with  a 
wealth  of  color  and  radiance  all  about  it,  in  the 
glorious  flowers.  *'  Well,  in  that  house  lives  a 
woman,  who  came  across  the  plains  with  me,  over 

117 


thirty-nine  years  ago,  as  steerage  on  an  ox  team." 
"  Steerage  !  "  I  gasped  ;  *'  what  difference  could  be 
made,  coming  across  the  plains,  between  cabin  pas- 
sengers and  steerage  ?  '*  "  Cabin  people  rode, — 
steerage  walked,"  he  answered.  As  we  passed 
through  the  beautiful  woods,  just  outside  Pacific 
Grove,  a  fence  ran  across  the  country,  and  a  gate 
allowed  drivers  to  pass  along.  "  What's  that  fence 
for,  driver?"  I  asked.  "To  divide  Pacific  Grove 
Methodists  from  cattle  !  "  was  the  answer;  and  just 
then  as  two  pretty  young  girls  passed  on  the  road, 
he  exclaimed,  "  Look  at  those  destroying  angels !  " 
Then  'he  told  us,  in  his  own  queer  way,  out  of 
the  side  of  his  mouth,  about  a  passenger  he  had 
once,  "  who  shaved  as  all  them  Boston  fellers  do, 
way  down  to  his  collar.  Well,  this  Boston  chap 
could  ask  more  questions  than  anybody  I  ever  met. 
Says  he  to  me,  *  Driver,  how  old  is  that  tree  ?  ' — 
thinkin'  he'd  stick  me.  *  Two  thousand  and  six 
years  old,'  I  answered.  *  What,'  say  he,  *  how  do 
you  know  ?  *  *  Well,'  says  I,  *  a  naturalist  come  out 
here  six  years  ago,  and  said  it  was  two  thousand 
years  old,  and  I  reckon  it  ain't  stopped  growing 
these  last  six  years.'  That  nearly  fetched  him;  but 
pretty  soon  he  said,  *  Is  the  Carmel  Mission  built 
on  the  water,  driver?'  'No,  Sir,' says  I;  'can't 
build  no  such  stone  structure  on  water,  not  in  my 
time.'  *  No  impertinence,  driver,'  says  Boston  ;  *  I 
mean  near  the  water,  of  course.'  *  Within  a  half 
mile.   Sir,'    I   answered.     That  feller  slowed   up   a 

1x8 


scrap  then.  Travellers  are  awful  fresh,  sometimes/* 
Alexander  added.  The  full  wit  in  these  items  or 
scraps,  from  a  four  hours'  drive,  bountifully  sprink- 
led throughout  with  them,  is  lost,  when  the  man- 
ner, and  enjoyment  of  his  own  jokes,  cannot  be  pict- 
ured.    He  was  quite  inimitable. 

After  driving  through  the  loveliest  of  pine  woods, 
most  picturesque  and  beautiful,  we  came  suddenly 
out  into  the  bright  sunshine,  right  on  the  shore  of 
the  great  Pacific  Ocean.  Our  drive  continued,  for 
ten  miles  or  more,  right  by  the  ocean, — the  great 
rocks  rising  about  us,  and  the  breakers  dashing  high 
in  surf  and  spray,  making  a  white,  thick  outline 
along  the  beach,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  Our 
first  glimpse  of  the  ocean  and  rocks  was,  perhaps, 
the  grandest  of  all,  as  the  waves  come  in  six  differ^ 
ent  currents,  and  the  meeting  point  makes  a  grand 
picture.  It  is  called  Pyramid  Point.  "  When  we 
reach  a  fine  place,  driver,  I  want  to  take  a  photo- 
graph," I  said.  "Well,  ma'am,  this  is  the  boss 
place, — the  first  starter,"  he  answered;  and  I 
jumped  out  with  my  Kodak. 

The  trees  on  this  drive  are  magnificent !  It  is  the 
only  place  where  the  Monterey  Cypress  trees  grow, 
in  great  numbers.  They  are  most  picturesque,  tall, 
with  dense  foliage,  but  quite  flat  on  top.  This  is  a 
marvelous  country  for  trees  and  palms.  The  Mon- 
terey Pines ;  and  the  Live  Oak,  with  the  Cypress, 
made  our  drive  most  unusual  and  picturesque.  I 
was  anxious  to  get  a  picture  of  a  real  good  specimen 

"9 


of  the  Cypress,  and  when  I  told  the  driver,  he  said, 
"  I've  got  a  tree  all  picked  out  for  you,  just  ready, 
it's  been  sketched,  photographed  and  painted,  until 
it's  pretty  nigh  worn  out."  I  photographed  it, — or 
rather  Mr.  H.  did,  with  James  and  myself  standing 
near.  It  is  called  the  "  Lone  Tree."  He  gave  the 
reins  to  James  once,  and  jumped  out  of  the  carriage 
like  a  boy  of  sixteen,  instead  of  sixty,  and  came 
back  to  me,  with  a  branch  of  the  Cypress,  with  cones, 
so  different  from  other  cones  ;  and  as  he  handed  them 
to  me,  he  said,  "  When  we  only  have  one  lady  along, 
we  have  to  treat  her  well ;  but  when  we  have  more 
than  one,  we  let  the  gentlemen  look  after  them." 

One  sight  of  unusual  interest  to  us,  were  the  Seal- 
rocks,  where  the  sea  lions  live.  They  are  near  the 
shore,  so  one  can  watch  these  sea-monsters  quite 
closely.  Law  forbids  any  one  from  shooting  or  kill- 
ing them.  They  were  thickly  settled  all  over  the 
rocks,  where  we  saw  them  basking  in  the  sun,  their 
great  wet  shiny  bodies  and  little  heads,  looking  most 
strange  and  uncanny.  We  saw  them  fight,  and  heard 
them  bark  plainly,  and  were  much  interested.  There 
were  several  hundreds  in  sight.  They  weigh  two 
thousand  pounds,  sometimes.  Further  down  the 
coast,  we  saw  the  leopard  seals,  with  their  striped 
bodies  and  queer  heads,  and  the  driver  said,  "  Those 
leopard  sea-lions  don't  bark  or  make  no  racket,  but 
are  high-toned,  and  don't  associate  with  no  other 
seals." 

Some  trees  make  shapes  and  forms  of  animals  ; 


and  two  great  cypress  trees,  on  that  shore-drive, 
made  the  exact  representation  of  an  ostrich,  with 
long  slim  legs  and  slender  arched  neck.  We  also 
saw  a  Buffalo  Ranch,  where  that  already  scarce 
animal  is  being  raised  and  bred.  One  beautiful 
sight  was  a  hill,  at  least  one  mile  in  length,  and 
quite  high,  covered  with  ferns,  beautiful  in  form,  and 
not  one  coarse  one  among  them.  It  made  me  think 
of  papa  and  mamma,  and  their  love  for  the  wild 
flowers  and  ferns.  They  would  absolutely  grow 
frantic,  in  this  country  of  brilliance  and  beauty. 
The  Trade  Winds  have  much  to  do  in  shaping  the 
trees.  The  wind  bends  the  trunks  of  the  young 
trees,  and  as  the  old  adage  says  "  As  the  twig  is 
bent,  the  tree  inclines  ";  so  as  one  travels  through  the 
country,  it  is  very  easy  to  see  from  what  quarter  the 
wind  has  come.  Fields  are  covered  with  trees, 
oftentimes,  which  bow  all  in  one  direction,  as  if 
doing  homage  to  some  unseen  God  or  Goddess. 
Such  a  field  we  passed  on  this  drive,  and  Alexander 
Early  said :  "  A  lady  asked  me  why  all  the  trees 
were  bent  in  one  direction,"  and  I  told  her  **  cause 
they  had  a  lean  on  the  property." 

One  more  item ;  then  endeth  the  chapter  on  A. 
Early.  As  we  passed  through  a  lovely  grove,  the 
perfume  of  the  pines  was  delicious ;  and  as  we 
breathed  it  into  our  lungs,  with  an  "Ah,  how  good 
it  feels,"  and  an  '*  Oh  my,"  some  one  said,  "  How 
good  this  must  be  for  consumption."  Alexander 
Early  said,    "  Yes,  that  reminds  me  of  one  of  those 


Raymonds  from  Boston,  who  asked  me  once  if  this 
was  a  good  place  for  consumption.  I  told  her  no, 
because  I  had  been  here  ten  years  and  I  hadn't  got 
it  yet.  '*  The  drive  was  a  most  enjoyable  one,  and 
it  was  over  nineteen  miles,  for  we  had  taken  a  couple 
of  extra  views  ;  but  it  was  none  too  long. 

FRIDAY,   JUNE    I9TH. 

A    BIT  cloudy  when  James,  Mr.  H.  and  I  went  to 
breakfast  soon  after  nine,  but  after  that  the 
clouds  cleared  away,  and  it  was  loveliness  itself. 

About  eleven  o'clock,  we  three  "  chums  "  walked 
to  the  little  funny  horse-cars,  with  rope-traces  on  the 
horses,  and  rode  to  the  Natatorium,  a  fine  establish- 
ment on  the  sandy  shore  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  or 
Monterey  Bay,  as  it  is  properly  called.  It  is  a  huge 
building, — glass  sides  and  roof,  with  warm  water 
tanks  inside, — some  colder  than  others, — to  suit 
every  taste  and  desire ;  and  about  these  clear  fresh- 
looking  tanks,  full  of  salt  water  at  different  degrees 
of  temperature,  are  the  most  magnificent  palms  and 
.plants,  of  all  sizes  and  variety,  while  hanging  from 
the  ceiling  are  fine  baskets,  full  of  vines ;  and  an  air 
of  a  tropical  climate  is  everywhere.  It  is  a  most 
unusual  bathing  establishment ;  and  it  seems  as  if 
bathers  should  wear  satin  and  silk  suits,  to  harmon- 
ize with  the  luxurious  surroundings.  There  is 
always  a  bathing  master  in  attendance,  who  gives 
swimming  lessons ;  and  it  was  remarkable  to  see 
some  little  tots,  who  could  not  stand  upright,  be- 


cause  the  water  was  over  their  heads,  swim  about, 
tread  water,  and  move  all  over,  like  little  fish. 
Outside  these  tanks  are  dressing  rooms,  for  those 
who  bathe  in  the  open  ocean  ;  and  we  soon  left  the 
tropical  tubs,  for  the  seats  outside,  and  watched 
some  fine  swimmers,  both  ladies  and  gentlemen. 
About  twelve  o'clock,  in  company  with  the  young 
bride  and  groom  from  Salt  Lake  City,  whom  we 
met  in  the  Maze,  we  came  back  to  the  fascinating 
Club  House,  had  lemonade,  then  wandered  through 
the  beautiful  grounds  again,  to  fully  impress  them 
upon  our  memories, — then  we  came  in  to  lunch. 
After  luncheon,  and  a  little  chat  on  one  of  the 
many  piazzas,  I  left  the  "  two  boys  "  and  came  to 
do  a  little  packing  in  my  room — then  wrote  this 
journal,  while  Jamie  packed  his  *'  traps." 

This  morning,  in  our  walk,  we  passed  the  Maze, 
and  hearing  some  voices  within,  we  stopped  to 
listen.  "  Poor  things  "  exclaimed  Mr.  H.  **  lost  as 
we  were  ;  "  and  the  merriest  laugh  rang  out  from  that 
labyrinth  of  green  :  the  poor  lost  people  had  heard 
us,  and  evidently  felt  encouraged  to  think  they  were 
not  alone  in  their  affliction. 


x«3 


UP    MT.    HAMILTON  TO    THE    LICK    OB- 
SERVATORY 


SATURDAY,  JUNE  20TH. 

T7ROM  Monterey  to  San  Jose.  At  the  unearthly 
hour  of  half  past  four  o'clock  A.M.,  James  and 
I  awoke,  in  anticipation  of  the  order  we  had  left  at 
the  office  last  night,  to  be  awakened  at  4.45.  We 
arose,  dressed,  breakfasted  at  half  past  five,  and  at 
three  minutes  before  six  o'clock,  James,  Mr.  H.  and 
I  stepped  into  the  "  bus  "  and  were  driven  from 
lovely  Del  Monte,  to  take  the  train  for  San  Jos6. 
Our  trip  of  two  hours  and  a  quarter,  to  San  Jos^,was 
quite  uneventful,  but  pleasant,  but  as  we  had  so  re- 
cently gone  over  the  same  road,  it  was  not  so  novel 
or  entertaining.  We  went  at  once,  on  arriving  at 
San  Jos^,  to  the  new  Vendome  Hotel,  a  very  pret- 
tily situated  and  comfortable  little  place,  which, 
however,  was  quite  tame  to  us,  coming  so  directly 
as  we  had  from  Del  Monte.  But  at  night,  when 
we  returned  again  to  it,  unexpectedly  to  our- 
selves, it  seemed  a  palace  and  paradise.  After  sit- 
ting a  couple  of  hours  on  the  piazza,  and  listening 
to  a   band,  consisting   of   three  pieces,  who   play 

134 


morning  and  evening,  James,  Mr.  H.  and  I  jumped 
on  an  electric  car,  and  went  to  view  the  town.  We 
found  it  a  remarkably  wide-awake  little  place,  fine 
stores,  nice  goods,  and  quite  inviting  and  pleasant. 
What  impressed  us  most  in  San  Jos^,  was  the  won- 
derful growth  of  the  palms.  Along  the  streets,  by 
the  side-walks,  they  are  planted  in  rows,  palms  by 
the  hundreds,  like  real  trees,  giving  such  a  tropical 
air  and  style  to  the  streets.  We  had  a  lunch  at  a 
quarter  to  twelve,  and  at  half  past  twelve  we  were 
sitting  with  our  hand  baggage  on  the  piazza,  waiting 
for  the  stage  to  take  us,  and  many  others,  up  Mt. 
Hamilton.  At  least  a  hundred  people  drove  up  that 
mountain  with  us,  in  private  carriages,  etc.,  that 
day.  It  was  a  magnificent  day,  not  a  cloud  to  be 
seen,  and  full  moon  at  night ;  and  (as  we  learned 
later)  it  had  been  foggy,  rainy  and  unpleasant  for 
the  last  three  Saturdays ;  and  as  that  is  the  only 
public  day,  it  was  too  much  to  resist,  and  many 
drove  up.  At  the  Observatory,  one  of  the  Profes- 
sors remarked,  within  my  hearing,  that  **  they  had 
done  no  work  for  a  week,  in  the  Observatory,  as  they 
had  been  enveloped  in  a  dense  fog."  Our  "  good 
fairy "  had  not  deserted  us.  James  and  I  had  en- 
gaged the  box-seats  with  the  driver ;  but  finding  the 
seats  inside  the  coach  filled  with  ladies,  I  suggested 
that  Mr.  H.  and  I  exchange  seats,  which  we  did,  and 
fortunately  for  me, — at  least  going  up,  for  the  sun 
was  so  hot,  it  nearly  broiled  the  two  poor  fellows. 
We  had  a  very  dusty  and  a  terribly  hot  drive,  start- 

"5 


ing  as  we  did  about  one  o'clock,  and  driving  through 
a  most  beautiful  country,  with  very  little  shade.  But 
it  paid  us  well,  and  will  stand  out  in  our  memories 
always,  as  a  delightful  experience. 

California  is  the  most  beautifully  fertile  country 
I  have  ever  seen,  and  not  an  inch  of  ground  seems 
uncultivated.  Our  drive,  at  first,  was  through  the 
famous  Santa  Clara  Valley,  and  it  was  like  driving 
through  a  beautifully  cultivated  park,  with  such 
well  kept  prune  ranches,  cherry  farms,  and  pear 
groves,  such  a  luxurious  growth  of  every  kind  of 
fruit,  apricots,  plums  and  everything  good,  making 
one  long  to  stop  and  have  a  picnic,  in  among  the 
trees.  But  we  did  not  stop  :  we  drove  on  and  on  for 
about  six  miles ;  and  then  we  began  to  climb  the 
hills,  creeping  round  the  mountains  like  snails,  but 
going  steadily  higher  and  higher,  slowly,  inch  by 
inch,  but  surely.  We  finally  crossed  one  range  of 
hills,  then  came  into  a  beautiful  valley,  as  shady 
along  the  road-way,  as  the  path  we  had  just  left  was 
sunny  and  barren  of  trees.  The  Buck-eye  bushes 
were  white  with  blossoms ;  and  as  they  are  as  long 
as  our  horse-chestnut  blossoms,  only  thicker  and 
denser,  it  was  a  pretty  addition  to  the  green  of  the 
trees.  Wild  lilac  was  plenty, — in  great  white  bushes 
— in  fact,  the  flora  on  that  drive,  was  really  beautiful 
and  wonderful.  Finally,  about  half  past  four  o'clock, 
we  reached  a  place  called  '*  Smith's  Creek,"  where 
all  stages  stop,  change  horses,  and  feed  passengers. 
Some  people  remain  here  also  over  night,  so  as  to 

176 


break  the  drive,  and  rest.  We  intended  to  do  so ; 
but  one  glimpse  of  the  house  and  surroundings,  one 
meal  in  the  spacious  ( ! )  dining  room,  settled  our 
minds,  and  decided  us  in  our  doings.  Rather  than 
stay  at  Smith's  Creek,  we  decided  to  drive  back  to 
San  Jos^,  and  run  our  risk  of  getting  bed  and  board. 
As  the  four  stages,  with  four  horses  each,  came  thun- 
dering up  to  the  hotel  (we  were  in  the  lead),  an  army 
of  attendants  came  flying  out  of  the  house,  each 
armed  with  a  feather  duster  and  brush,  and  every- 
body was  brushed,  pounded  and  thoroughly  cleaned 
before  we  could  enter  '*  Smith's  Creek  Palace  Hotel," 
as  I  named  it.  As  soon  as  we  were  in  order,  we 
three  chums  marched  boldly  into  the  dining  room. 
The  Dining-room  !  The  laundry  at  Sunny-Slope  (a 
bit  longer  perhaps,  but  no  wider),  is  palatial  to  that 
dining  room.  We  had  a  very  frugal  repast,  not 
enough  to  give  us  proper  nourishment,  but  all  we 
could  get. 

At  Smith's  Creek,  we  could  look  straight  up  and 
see  the  Lick  Observatory,  and  by  a  trail,  it  was  just 
two  miles  ;  but  by  the  road,  it  was  seven  miles,  and 
took  us  nearly  three  hours  to  crawl  up.  Our  road 
was  wonderful, — marvelous, — cut  from  the  sides  of 
the  hills,  and  winding,  twisting,  turning,  in  the  most 
graceful  curves,  through  the  most  beautiful  country 
and  land,  and  giving  us  views,  unsurpassed,  of  miles 
and  miles  in  every  direction.  As  far  as  one  could 
turn  the  head,  to  the  right,  or  to  the  left  as  well,  a 
view  of  wondrous  beauty  was  visible ;  the  only  spot, 

127 


not  actually  calling  forth  the  most  enthusiastic 
praise,  being  directly  at  one's  back.  James  was  an 
enthusiast  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  He  would 
call  out  to  me  every  other  minute,  saying,  "  Isn't 
it  grand  !  Did  you  see  anything  like  this  even  in 
Switzerland  ?  "  In  those  seven  miles,  the  road  turns 
three  hundred  and  sixty-seven  times ;  and  gradually 
we  reached  the  summit,  and  drove  up  in  front  of 
that  marvelous  structure,  in  all  its  massiveness, — 
the  "  Lick  Observatory."  Mt.  Hamilton  is  about 
five  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level,  and  we 
had  come  twenty-seven  miles,  the  driver  said,  to 
see  it ;  (but  the  miles  in  this  country  are  equal  to 
about  two  each  in  the  East).  It  is  built  of  brick 
and  iron,  the  base  being  painted  a  dull  red,  and  the 
domes,  one  on  each  end,  are  white,  and  can  be  seen 
for  miles,  with  the  naked  eye.  It  is  a  fine  struc- 
ture, full  of  every  manner  of  electric  appliance,  and 
every  new  and  old  invention,  for  the  study  of  sci- 
ence,— a  comfortable  library  for  the  professors,  who 
number  about  six  or  eight,  I  believe,  with  their  at- 
tendants, making  about  twenty  in  all,  on  that  lonely 
mountain. 

James  Lick,  the  founder  of  this  observatory,  was 
a  very  poor  lad,  in  a  country  village,  and  loved, 
unfortunately,  a  miller's  daughter.  His  request  of 
the  miller,  for  his  daughter's  hand,  was  denied  him, 
because  he  was  poor.  He  made  up  his  mind  to 
prove  himself  worthy  of  his  sweetheart ;  and,  leav- 
ing home,  he  went  to  California  and  settled  in  the 

128 


Santa  Clara  Valley,  near  the  foot  of  Mt.  Hamil- 
ton, obtaining  employment,  and  finally  becoming 
interested  in  a  mine  near,  which  made  him,  in  time, 
a  very  wealthy  man.  He  built  a  mill,  far  surpass- 
ing the  one  owned  by  the  stem  old  miller,  finished 
in  California  woods,  and  then  wrote  to  the  miller, 
to  invite  him  to  come  and  visit  him,  and  to  ask 
again  for  the  hand  of  his  daughter.  The  story 
says,  the  daughter  had  not  been  true  to  her  lover, 
but  had  married  ; — and  James  Lick  remained  a 
bachelor  all  his  life.  I  asked  some  one,  who  seemed 
to  be  posted,  why  James  Lick  left  his  money  for 
an  observatory  ;  for,  if  he  was  a  poor  man,  and  had 
had  but  little  education,  how  did  he  come  to  feel 
an  interest  in  scientific  research  ?  The  answer  was 
this  :  When  a  boy,  he  had  known  a  monk  whom  he 
admired  greatly,  who  was  always  studying  the 
heavens,  through  a  little  telescope  he  possessed,  and 
it  was  from  him  that  he  first  learned  of  the  glory 
of  the  heavens,  and  the  need  of  means  to  study  and 
learn.  James  Lick  died  an  eccentric  old  bachelor, 
and  after  willing  the  immense  sum  of  money  for  the 
building  of  the  observatory,  and  a  fund  for  the 
maintenance  of  professors,  etc.,  he  requested  that 
his  body  be  placed  under  the  great  telescope,  in  the 
great  dome,  where  it  now  rests.  We  reached  there 
about  half-past  seven,  and  at  once  began  to  look 
about.  The  view  of  the  surrounding  country  was 
beyond  words  to  describe,  as  we  looked  nearly  a 
hundred  miles  in  every  direction,  across  to  CaHfor- 

129 


nia  Bay,  and  to  the  coast  range  of  mountains.  As 
we  peeped  over  the  stone  wall  on  the  edge,  looking 
down,  we  could  see  over  two  thousand  feet,  straight 
down  the  mountain  side,  into  the  valley.  Jamie 
and  Bert  were  annoyed  by  the  great  crowd  of  peo- 
ple, waiting  in  the  Grand  Dome,  to  look  through  the 
great  telescope  of  thirty-six  inch  diameter,  so  they 
went  outside,  after  looking  at  the  moon  through  the 
smaller  telescope ;  and  by  so  doing,  they  saw  one  of 
the  finest  of  sunsets,  and  gloried  over  me  in  their 
glee.  Bert  did  hunt  for  me,  and  took  me  to  see  the 
last  fading  remnants  of  its  glory;  but  I  was  too  late 
for  much.  We  were  nearly  two  hours  in  the  great 
dome,  sitting  in  the  dark,  waiting  for  our  turn  to 
view  Saturn,  with  his  rings  and  satellites.  At  last 
our  chance  came,  and  we  stepped  into  the  charmed 
mystic  enclosure,  and  approached  the  great  wonder 
in  the  scientific  world,  the  powerful  lens.  When  it 
came  my  turn  to  look,  I  climbed  the  ladder  up  to 
the  little  eye-hole,  and  then  held  my  breath,  as  I 
viewed  Saturn,  with  his  rings  and  six  satellites. 
Surely,  "  the  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God,  and 
the  firmament  showeth  His  handiwork."  It  was  a 
wonderful  view  I  had,  that  one-half  minute,  but  it  is 
indelibly  impressed  on  my  mind.  It  was  a  glimpse 
into  the  mysteries  of  that  attractive  science  of  as- 
tronomy, of  which  I  know  so  little,  and  which  makes 
one  hunger  for  knowledge,  and  a  keener  insight  into 
the  glories  of  the  heavens.  I  did  not  wonder  that 
those  learned   men   would    sacrifice   everything, — 

130 


home,  happiness,  comfort, — to  stay  on  that  moun- 
tain peak,  to  study  and  learn  of  the  heavens. 
I  also  looked  through  the  smaller  telescope, 
which  has  no  mean  lens,  but  is,  of  course, 
inferior  to  the  greater  monarch.  I  saw  the 
moon  through  that,  and  was  much  interested. 
It  was  too  full,  to  see  the  volcanoes  and  moun- 
tains, but  I  could  see  a  portion  of  it  very  well. 
I  had  a  minute  then,  and  could  not  help  asking  the 
professor  in  attendance,  *'  if  there  could  ever  be  a 
telescope,  powerful  enough  to  discover  life  on  the 
other  planets,  if  there  is  life  on  any  of  them."  He 
answered  "  We  have  never  had  a  telescope  yet, 
strong  enough  to  discover  life  on  any  planet.** 
When  we  emerged  from  the  dome,  we  saw  the  elec- 
tric key-board,  where  at  twelve  o'clock  every  day, 
"  Pacific  Time "  is  flashed  to  many  places,  also 
the  self-registering  barometer  and  water-gage,  etc. 
The  entire  building  is  full  of  photographs  of  the 
moon,  at  different  periods  and  quarters,  and  of  all 
kinds  of  heavenly  bodies;  and  I  learned  that  it 
takes,  sometimes,  ten  hours  to  take  a  photograph  of 
the  heavens.  Imagine  it !  At  ten  o'clock,  our  pas- 
sengers were,  with  difficulty,  gathered  together, 
stowed  away  and  sufficiently  wrapped  ;  and  we  be- 
gan our  descent  of  Mt.  Hamilton,  in  the  most  radi- 
antly beautiful  flood  of  moonlight,  I  have  ever  seen. 
If  the  **Moon  and  I"  had  arranged  to  be  out  the 
same  night,  we  could  not  have  done  better.  It  was 
a    superb    night;   the  moonlight  was  white,  and 


seemed  to  give  color  to  the  trees  and  grass.  As  we 
followed  the  winding  road,  flying  along  like  mad 
around  the  curves,  we  had  so  slowly  crawled  up,  in 
the  afternoon,  we  could  see  the  distant  hills  plainly. 
They  were  a  delicate  gray  mass  against  the  sky ; 
then  against  them  in  turn  were  the  foot-hills, — a 
dozen  shades  darker,  and  more  distinct ;  and  then 
in  the  foreground,  the  great  trees  and  their  clearly- 
cut  shadows,  made  a  picture  never  to  be  forgotten. 
It  was  a  glorious  drive  !  It  took  an  hour  to  reach 
Smith's  Creek,  and  at  11.15  P.  M.  we  had  a  light 
lunch  there.  We  then  drove  until  i  A.  M.,  when  we 
changed  horses,  and  drove  on,  reaching  the  Ven- 
dome  Hotel  at  2.30  A.  M.  Tired? — We  had  reached 
the  superlative  degree  of  that  word !  Dusty  ? 
Words  are  poor  to  describe  our  condition,  as  to 
cleanliness !  The  drive  down,  however,  had  been 
well  worth  the  dust  and  fatigue,  and  was  glorious. 
We  sang, — to  keep  awake, — told  stories  and  conun- 
drums, and  finally  lapsed  into  an  ominous  silence, 
which  was  made  visible,  by  nodding  heads,  and  wab- 
bling bodies. 

On  reaching  Vendome,  Bert  tried  to  register  us, 
and  nearly  fell  asleep  during  the  process.  At  that 
unearthly  hour,  rooms  were  assigned  us,  and  we 
fairly  rolled  into  them,  and  were  in  bed  in  quick 
haste.  How  James  and  Bert  roared,  as  we  walked 
into  our  room,  and  they  had  a  good  look  at  me  by 
gaslight.  With  my  rubber  coat  and  cape,  and  my 
little  fur  shoulder  wrap  over  it,  my  poor  wreck  of  a 

13a 


tin-pan  hat,  stuck  back  on  my  head,  and  my  hair 
hanging  in  a  regular  fringe,  I  must  have  presented 
a  sorry  sight ;  and  the  boys  laughed  hard  enough  at 
me,  to  make  me  right  angry,  if  I  had  not  been  so 
tired.  All  Bert  could  do  was  to  wave  a  good-night, 
as  he  grabbed  his  "  grip  "  and  was  shown  to  his 
room. 

SUNDAY,  JUNE  2 1  ST. 

"VJO  one  of  our  little  party  appeared,  or  showed 
any  signs  of  life,  until  noon,  to-day.  Then  we 
came  from  our  rooms,  looking  as  if  we  had  been  on  an 
awful  spree,  but  were  trying  to  brace  up.  A  lunch- 
eon and  breakfast  combined,  and  at  half-past  two 
o'clock,  we  took  the  omnibus  for  the  depot,  and  the 
3.05  P.  M.  train  for  San  Francisco.  While  waiting 
for  the  train  to  start,  Bert  and  James  smoked  out 
on  the  platform,  and  when  I  looked  out  a  little 
after  and  finally  joined  them,  I  found  a  Chinaman 
conversing  with  them.  He  had  come  to  them  and 
spoken,  said  he  had  seen  us  all  in  Chinatown,  and 
proved  to  be  one  of  our  friends  there, — Ah  Fung 
by  name.  Somebody  in  San  Jos^  had  seen  a  Chi- 
nese funeral,  a  couple  of  days  before  we  arrived, 
and  they  said  it  was  very  singular.  The  Chinamen 
rode  in  carriages,  but  they  made  an  unearthly  noise, 
with  gongs  and  bells,  and  acted  as  if  they  were 
possessed  of  evil  spirits.  They  have  a  great  fear  of 
death,  and  generally  hurry  their  dead  to  the  ceme- 
teries, as  fast  as  possible.     During  the  drive  to  the 

133 


grave-yard,  all  of  them  throw  little  colored  pieces 
of  paper  out  of  the  carriage  windows,  in  every  di- 
rection ;  and  the  more  they  can  scatter  in  this  way, 
the  better  for  the  dead,  for  each  piece  of  paper  has 
nine  holes  in  it,  and  their  theory  is,  that  the  Devil 
must  go  in  and  out  each  hole ;  and  the  more  they 
can  distribute,  the  more  work  the  old  fellow  has  to 
do,  and  therefore  cannot  catch  the  mourners,  before 
they  have  buried  their  dead.  They  have  a  regular 
chase  with  the  Devil,  which  shall  first  arrive  at  the 
cemetery. 

We  were  rejoiced  to  reach  San  Francisco  again, 
for,  although,  as  a  City  we  do  not  like  it,  it  was  a 
bit  like  home  to  us,  this  time.  The  porters,  bell- 
men and  waiters,  all  welcomed  us  ;  and  as  James  said, 
it  was  pleasant  to  have  somebody  to  speak  to  you, 
and  welcome  you  back.  We  found  letters  from 
home  also,  and  after  reading  them,  dining,  etc.,  we 
went  to  our  room  and  had  a  quiet,  undisturbed 
evening,  writing  my  journal,  and  James  reading. 

MONDAY,   JUNE  22ND. 

AXTE  could  not  think  of  leaving  San  Francisco, 
without  seeing  the  Golden  Gate  Park,  and 
the  famous  Cliff  House ;  and  as  the  winds  are  high 
in  the  afternoon,  James,  Bert  and  I  started  at  ten 
o'clock,  for  a  drive,  first  taking  my  camera  to  have 
the  films  developed.  We  drove  through  the  Park 
to  the  Cliff  House,  which  is  on  the  Pacific  coast. 
Golden  Gate  Park  is  pretty  in  some  parts  of  it,  but 

134 


it  IS  young  yet,  and  does  not  begin  to  compare  with 
our  Eastern  parks.  It  has  many  obstacles  to  sur- 
mount, for  it  is  built  on  sand-hills,  and  is  also  swept, 
at  this  time  of  year,  by  the  destructive  winds,  which 
dry  up  everything,  and  make  sad  havoc  with  trees 
and  shrubs  as  well.  But,  giving  it  every  benefit  of 
every  doubt,  it  is  an  unattractive  place  to  us. 

After  leaving  the  Park,  we  drove  along  the  beach 
to  the  Cliff  House,  which  is,  as  its  name  implies, 
built  on  a  cliff  over-looking  three  huge  rocks,  on 
which  live  the  celebrated  sea-lions.  These  are  the 
attraction,  of  course,  and  we  spent  a  long  time, 
watching  the  great  monsters,  and  studying  their 
ungainly  and  awkward  movements.  Eleven  hundred 
sea-lions  live  on  these  rocks.  They  chose  this  spot 
many  years  ago,  and  are  true  to  it,  never  deserting 
their  home.  They  are  creatures  of  habit  too,  always 
going  to  the  exact  place  on  the  rocks,  which  they 
have  had  before,  which,  if  occupied  by  an  intruder, 
is  quickly  fought  for.  Some  of  these  sea-lions  are 
tremendous  !  Four  huge  fellows  are  ''monarchs  of 
all  they  survey  "  on  these  rocks,  and  they  weigh 
from  fourteen  hundred  to  two  thousand  pounds. 
We  saw  three  of  them  ; — Brigham  Young,  one  is 
called,  and  another  Ben  Butler ;  the  latter  is  a  re- 
markable likeness.  They  have  real  battles,  and 
bark  like  dogs,  when  angry.  After  watching  them 
some  time,  we  drove  up  still  higher,  to  view  the 
private  residence  and  grounds  of  Mr.  Sutro,  called 
*'  Sutro  Heights."     It  is  a  marvelous  place,  beauti- 

135 


fully  laid  out,  with  flower-beds  equal  to  Del  Monte 
in  design,  but  not  so  many,  of  course.  The  grounds 
are  full  of  every  conceivable  kind  of  statuary,  or 
*'  stationery "  as  a  man  told  us.  The  views  are 
extensive,  and  altogether  it  was  a  most  original  and 
unusual  place,  well  worth  seeing. 

We  reached  the  hotel  again  at  three  o'clock,  had 
our  luncheon,  and  then  went  shopping.  In  the 
evening.  Miss  B.  and  Mr.  H.  were  with  us,  listening 
to  the  music  in  the  Court ;  and  after  a  little  packing, 
we  retired. 


136 


THE    YOSEMITE 


TUESDAY,  JUNE  23RD. 

C  AN  FRANCISCO  to  Berenda !  We  were  up, 
and  ready  to  see  Mr.  H.  this  morning,  at  nine 
o*clock,  as  he  had  promised  to,  go  with  his  father- 
in-law,  to  Palo  Alto,  to  see  Hon.  Leland  Stanford's 
stables,  and  was  therefore  obliged  to  say  good-bye 
to  us  early.  James  and  I  felt  badly  about  it,  as  we 
have  shared  the  same  fate  for  four  weeks,  and  we 
have  enjoyed  Mr.  H.  wonderfully ;  he  has  done  so 
much  to  make  us  happy,  and  has  been  a  delightful 
travelling  companion. 

After  breakfast,  James  went  on  errands,  to  see  Mr. 
S.,  get  tickets,  etc.,  and  I  went  out  "  shopping  "  for 
a  few  necessary  articles.  I  was  back  at  half-past 
eleven,  then  packed,  and  at  2  P.  M.  I  was  ready  to 
start, — had  a  bite  of  lunch,  sent  a  scrawl,  added  to 
a  line  from  Jamie,  to  the  three  at  home,  and  at  half- 
past  two  o'clock  "  we  two  babes"  started  out  alone, 
for  a  trip  to  the  Yosemite.  We  went  to  the  Oak- 
land Ferry,  crossed,  and  took  the  train  there.  On 
the  boat,  we  saw  two  young  men,  who  went  up  the 
Mt.  Hamilton  trip  with  us,  and  although  we  did 

137 


not  know  them  well,  we  were  glad  to  hear  they  were 
bound  for  the  Yosemite  too,  for  it  was  some  one  to 
talk  to.  As  we  turned  from  speaking  to  them,  we 
saw  a  little  German  bride  and  her  big  German  hus- 
band, who  had  sat  at  our  table  at  Del  Monte,  and 
to  whom  I  had  spoken  once  or  twice.  Four  familiar 
faces, — and  in  a  strange  part  of  the  country,  among 
strange  scenes  and  people,  familiar  faces  are  a  bless- 
ing. James  and  I  had  the  drawing-room,  but  a 
warm  wave  seemed  to  have  found  and  decided  to 
accompany  us,  and  we  were  remarkably  uncomfort- 
able, during  the  night.  James  slept  but  little,  and  I 
managed  to  put  in  a  few  good  hours. 

We  had  rather  an  uninteresting  ride.  California 
has  been  delightful  to  us,  in  every  particular,  and  in 
every  trip,  until  this  ride  from  San  Francisco  to 
Berenda.  We  had  supper  at  **a  railroad  eating- 
room,"  The  place  is  called  Lathrop.  When  we 
reached  Berenda,  the  car  we  were  in  was  side-track- 
ed ;  and  as  the  town  of  Berenda  consists  of  a  railroad 
depot,  and  a  few  houses,  instead  of  being  side-tracked 
in  real  Berenda,  we  stood  all  night  out  on  a  genuine 
Nebraska  prairie,  a  most  lonely,  God-forsaken  spot. 
No  Indian  or  out-law  molested  us,  and  we  had  a 
quiet  but  very  trying  night,  it  was  so  warm. 

WEDNESDAY,   JUNE   24TH. 

A  T  four  and  a  half  o'clock  this  morning,  James 

Walcott    Haslehurst    was    up,   washed    and 

dressed,  and  in  his  right  mind  !     I  followed  suit,  as 

138 


the  car  was  to  start  at  five  o'clock,  and  I  thought  it 
would  be  pleasanter  to  dress  quietly,  than  to  a  waltz 
step.  We  were  relieved  to  be  up  and  out,  and  half 
past  five  found  James  and  myself  sitting  on  the 
back  platform,  as  wide  awake  as  we  ever  are  at 
home,  at  nine  o'clock.  The  dust  and  cinders  soon 
drove  us  into  our  little  room  again,  and  we  were  no 
sooner  in  and  comfortably  placed,  than  "Ray- 
mond "  sang  the  Porter,  and  out  we  bounced,  bag 
and  baggage.  Raymond,  thought  I, — where  is 
Raymond?  Surely  that  white  house,  covered  with 
vines,  does  not  constitute  the  town  of  Raymond ; 
but  it  did.  As  I  looked,  two  or  three  other  little 
huts  loomed  up  ;  but  with  a  thanksgiving  in  my 
heart,  that  fate  had  spared  us  from  the  necessity  of 
eating  our  breakfast  in  any  of  them,  James  and  I 
approached  the  vine  covered  piazza,  of  what  proved 
to  be  rather  a  nice  place,  after  all.  In  front  of  the 
house  was  a  platform,  on  which,  in  the  most  pictur- 
esque groups,  the  Yosemite  passengers  had  piled 
their  baggage.  It  is  not  well  to  bring  a  trunk  into 
the  valley,  unless  one  comes  for  some  time;  so  the 
number  and  variety,  the  shapes  and  kinds  and  mar- 
velous contours  of  those  parcels,  beggar  description; 
little  and  big,  round  and  flat,  neat  and  untidy,  and 
all  in  separate  little  piles,  to  be  put  into  the  coaches 
before  starting. 

At  a  quarter  past  six,  we  all  went  to  breakfast. 
It  was  good,  as  such  meals  go, — nothing  surprising, 
but  one  could  take  enough  bread  and  coffee,  to  last 

139 


for  a  few  hours.  Our  repast  was  soon  over,  and  at 
seven  o'clock,  sharp,  two  four-horse  coaches  came 
to  the  door,  luggage  and  grips  were  stored  away, 
passengers  given  their  allotted  places,  and  away  we 
started,  with  as  blazing  and  hot  a  sun,  as  one  ever 
cares  to  have,  pouring  down  on  our  unprotected 
heads.  "Unprotected  heads,"  does  anyone  ex- 
claim ?  James  and  I  were  the  only  sufferers.  The 
best  seats,  on  such  drives  and  such  stages,  are  with 
the  driver,  and  out  from  under  cover,  and  we  were 
considered  fortunate  indeed,  to  have  secured  them, 
a  week  ago.  But  we  had  such  a  dreadful  morning, 
— nothing  but  awful  dust,  intolerable  heat  and  real 
discomfort.  This  was  not  visited  on  our  heads 
alone,  for  the  people  inside  suffered  as  much  from 
dust,  as  we  did.  We  thought  ourselves  fortunate, 
however,  in  being  outside,  as  whatever  little  stray 
breeze  came  our  way,  we  were  sure  to  catch. 

The  driver  said,  as  we  drove  out  of  Raymond, 
that  the  drive  to  "  Grant's  " — the  dinner-station, — 
was  most  trying  and  uninteresting, — and  it  was  so 
^  in  every  sense.  The  country  was  lovely,  but  some- 
how or  other,  there  was  not  much  to  interest  one. 
One  little  encounter  was  quite  exciting.  Coiled  up 
in  the  road,  so  that  one  wheel  nearly  passed  over  it, 
was  a  real  big  rattle-snake,  about  four  feet  long. 
One  of  the  passengers  spied  it,  and  at  once,  driver 
and  passengers,  with  sticks  and  stones,  were  out  by 
the  snake,  trying  to  kill  it.  It  was  a  lively  young 
fellow,  and  showed  fight  from  the  first,  evading  his 

140 


would-be  assassins  very  adroitly.  Finally  the 
driver  pinned  him  down  with  a  stick ;  and  then  how 
his  poisonous  tongue  did  run  out,  in  energetic  little 
jerks,  trying  to  hurt  somebody.  At  last,  his  rattling 
highness  escaped  his  wooden  pin,  and  jumped  right 
in  among  the  warriors  bold,  and  they  all  jumped 
in  turn  about  ten  feet,  in  every  direction.  The 
quick,  active  driver,  with  the  strength  of  a  Hercules, 
gave  one  good  blow  at  that  moment,  however,  and 
a  limp,  lifeless  head  was  the  result.  Then  the  re- 
mains were  brought,  for  inspection,  to  the  stage, 
and  the  rattle  was  taken  from  the  end  of  the  tail. 
Twelve  rattles  were  found  ;  and  if  the  theory  is  cor- 
rect, that  each  rattle  represents  one  year,  his  de- 
ceased snakeship  was  just  twelve  years  old. 

This  wild  country  is  running  over  with  animal 
life.  We  saw  squirrels  by  the  hundreds,  rabbits  by 
dozens,  and  quail,  buzzards,  lizards  without  numbers, 
and  even  a  wild  cat  (but  a  dead  one,  thank  fortune). 
One  funny,  unusual  sight,  was  an  old  man  on  horse- 
back, herding  geese.  He  seemed  the  biggest  goose 
of  the  lot !  One  gets  so  used  to  strange  names  for 
places,  people,  and  horses,  that  they  fail,  after  a  time, 
to  impress  one  as  anything  unusual  or  peculiar;  but 
as  we  drove  along  this  morning,  and  passed  several 
teams,  hauling  loads,  the  driver  of  our  stage  called 
out  to  the  driver  of  another :  "  Say,  how  does  Jim- 
mie  Neversweat  work  now?'*  Poor  little  Jimmie 
Neversweat — he  was  a  poor,  tired,  worn-out  little 
animal. 

141 


Alexander  Early  used  to  drive  a  stage  into  this 
Valley,  and  all  the  drivers  know  him.  When  we 
asked  our  driver,  Thomas  Gordon,  he  said :  **  Know 
Alex.  Early,  gas-sy  Alex,  we  called  him.**  Then  he 
told  us  a  story,  quite  in  keeping  with  Mr.  Early's 
yam  to  us.  The  pine  trees  in  this  Valley  sometimes 
die  at  the  top,  and  therefore  present  a  strange  ap- 
pearance. A  traveller  asked  Alex.  Early,  once, 
"why  so  many  trees  died  at  the  top?"  "  Oh,  the 
season's  so  short  here,  the  sap  don't  have  time  to  get 
up  there,"  he  answered. 

As  we  drove  through  the  country,  this  morning, 
we  saw  a  queer  wooden  affair,  running  along  for 
miles,  and  raised  on  stilts,  to  keep  it  at  a  certain 
angle.  We,  of  course,  were  curious  about  it,  and 
asked  the  necessary  questions,  finding  out  that  this 
queer  arrangement  was  a  lumber  flume,  running  for 
sixty-five  miles  through  the  country,  to  a  saw-mill. 
The  flume  has  a  stream  of  water  flowing  through  it, 
and  the  wood  is  tied  in  certain  sized  piles,  and  floated 
through.     It  was  decidedly  novel  to  us. 

Well,  as  we  crept  over  hill  and  dale,  we  tried  to 
feel  glad  we  were  there ;  but  a  sigh  would  escape 
somebody,  once  in  a  while,  and  it  was  quite  evident 
that  no  one  was  overjoyed,  to  be  in  such  a  dusty 
scrape.  We  reached  a  place — or  rather  a  house — 
called  Grant's;  and  then  the  honest  convictions,  of 
the  souls  of  our  passengers,  found  expression,  and 
everybody  wondered  "  if  all  travellers  to  the  Yosem- 
ite  had  turned  liars,  from  such  afflictions  and  trials, 

142 


— if  it  was  really  worth  so  much  discomfort — if  there 
was  really  anything  to  see,  after  all."  But,  after  as 
nice  and  tempting  a  meal  as  one  could  wish  to  have, 
we  all  took  our  places  in  the  stage  again,  and  went 
on.  Nothing  pleasant  presented  itself,  until  about 
four  o'clock,  when,  after  climbing  by  inches  the 
highest  of  high  hills,  we  reached  the  summit  of  the 
mountain,  and  were  5,600  feet  above  sea-level,  and 
about  four  thousand  above  the  valley.  There  we 
saw  beauty  enough  to  pay  us  for  our  long  uncom- 
fortable trip.  We  drove  into  such  a  forest  of  loveli- 
ness, with  huge  pine  trees  rising  hundreds  of  feet,  on 
all  sides  of  us,  with  their  great  straight  trunks  and 
magnificently  mottled  bark.  The  ground  was  cov- 
ered, each  side  of  our  roadway,  with  mammoth  ferns, 
and  a  sea  of  huge  collossal  pine  cones.  A  peculiar 
growth,  like  whiskers,  but  of  strong  wooden  spikes, 
are  allabout  the  trunks  of  these  pine  trees ;  and  a 
bright  vivid  green  moss  clings  most  lovingly  to  these 
rope-like  limbs,  and  sometimes  covers  them  entirely. 
The  contrast  of  this  bright  green  moss,  with  the 
darker  evergreen  foliage,  and  the  rich  loam  of  the 
earth,  made  a  picture  never  seen  by  us  before. 
Then,  after  those  seven  hours  of  hot  discomfort,  we 
were  glad  we  had  come.  When  we  reached  Wawona, 
we  found  the  loveliest  and  cleanest  of  little  hotels, 
most  attractively  surrounded,  and  delightful  as  well, 
in  food  and  lodging.  After  a  good  pounding,  by 
the  corps  of  attendants,  who  appear  with  a  brush 
and  duster,  on  arrival  of  every  stage,  we  had  dinner, 

143 


then  visited  the  studio  of  the  artist,  Thomas  Hill,  of 
Yosemite  fame,  whose  medals  of  honor  and  reward, 
show  well  that  his  work  is  highly  approved  by  judges 
of  art. 

A  letter,  written  to  the  three  at  home,  finished  the 
evening,  and  before  eleven  o'clock  we  had  retired. 

The  distance  driven  to-day  was  thirty-nine  miles. 

THURSDAY,  JUNE  25TH. 

AT  5.30  A.  M.  we  were  awakened  and  up,  and 
although  poor  James  groaned,  "  When  will  I 
get  rested?"  we  had  to  be  up  and  away  at  7  A.  M. 
It  was  a  beautiful  morning,  exquisite  in  every  way, 
except  the  heat,  which  was  intense.  We  did  noth- 
ing but  go  up  and  down  hills,  but  such  awfully  steep 
places,  where  our  road  lay  right  on  the  edge  of  the 
deepest  precipices.  We  could  look  hundreds  of  feet 
right  straight  down  into  the  valley,  over  the  tops  of 
the  highest  trees,  with  such  grand,  such  magnificent 
views  for  hundreds  of  miles.  It  was  a  wild,  exciting 
drive,  through  the  most  beautiful  wooded  country, 
around  curves  by  the  dozens,  when  the  four  horses 
would  go  as  if  demented,  or  chased  by  some  fiend. 
We  forded  little  streams,  crossed  innumerable 
bridges,  and  had  a  glorious  drive.  Our  only  anx- 
iety was  in  meeting  teams  or  stages ;  then  some- 
times our  hearts  were  in  our  mouths,  for  the  roads 
were  so  narrow,  and  there  seemed  no  place  to  turn 
out.  One  poor,  lone  man  had  to  turn  out  for  us,  as 
the  stage  has  the  right  of  way,  and  as  he  sat  in  his 

144 


little  light  wagon,  he  looked  the  picture  of  fright, 
and  exclaimed,  in  an  agonized  way,  "  The  bank's 
going  from  under  me  !  "  "  Serves  you  right !  **  ex- 
claimed our  driver;  **you  should  have  waited  in 
some  safe  place  for  the  stages." 

Our  drive  this  morning  was  twenty-six  miles,  and 
we  reached  the  Yosemite  Valley  at  i  .30  P.  M. 

The  Yosemite  Valley  is  just  eight  miles  in  length, 
and  when  travellers  first  see  it,  it  is  from  a  height 
of  about  six  thousand  five  hundred  feet.  As  we 
turned  a  sharp  curve,  in  descending  Mount  Chow- 
chile,  the  Valley  was  seen  suddenly ;  and  nothing, 
that  I  can  write,  can  give  any  idea  of  the  impression 
that  first  view  gives  one.  Never  in  my  life,  but 
once,  have  I  felt  so  before  ;  and  that,  was,  when  we 
stood  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Blanc,  and  the  clouds 
parted,  and  we  saw  the  reflection  of  the  setting  sun, 
on  that  mountain  of  ice.  Now,  as  then,  words  were 
gone ;  my  tongue  refused  to  articulate,  and  I  could 
not  even  think.  I  felt  as  Moses  must  have  felt, 
when  the  Lord  appeared  unto  him  on  the  Mount. 
I  only  looked,  wondered,  and  admired,  in  awe  and 
reverence,  this  great  marvel  of  nature.  Rocks  of  all 
shapes  and  tints,  in  most  majestic  magnificence, 
walled  us  in,  as  we  descended  into  the  Valley,  with 
the  most  brilliantly  bright  falls  of  water,  the  most 
luxurious  growths  of  trees,  shrubs  and  flowers,  and 
the  grandest  grandeur  ever  seen,  on  every  side.  It 
has  been  said,  that  '*  it  is  not  easy  to  describe,  in 
words,  the  precise  impressions  which  great  objects 

145 


make  upon  us  ";  and  I  felt  this  then,  and  realize  it 
more  now,  when  I  try  to  write  of  this  entrance  of 
ours  into,  and  our  first  glimpse  of,  the  Yosemite 
Valley.  Actual  objects,  and  places,  like  Chinatown, 
etc.,  one  can  picture  and  portray  by  word  or  pen, 
sometimes;  but  these  great  scenes,  these  wonders 
in  nature,  only  sink  deep  into  the  heart,  and  defy 
pen  or  words,  to  picture  or  describe  the  impressions 
made.  It  makes  one  feel  the  presence  of  the  Cre- 
ator of  all  this  wondrous  beauty,  in  the  rocks  and 
rills,  the  mountains  and  myriad  wonders ;  and  the 
heart  stands  still,  in  silent  homage  to  the  Great  God ; 
and  prayer  and  praise  come  intuitively  to  a  thought- 
ful mind. 

After  dinner,  or  rather  lunch,  James  and  I  came 
to  our  comfortable  room  in  the  Stoneman  House, 
and  after  necessary  ablutions,  slept  soundly  for  sev- 
eral hours.  In  the  evening,  we  chatted  with  some 
fellow-passengers,  sent  a  letter  on  its  way  to  the 
three  at  home,  and  started  early  for  the  "  Land  of 
Nod." 

FRIDAY,  JUNE  26tH. 

T  N  the  Yosemite  Valley !  Breakfast  is  over  here 
at  8.30  A.  M.,  and  James  and  I  managed  to 
scramble  in,  just  at  the  last  minute.  Most  of  our 
companions  had  made  early  starts,  on  excursions, 
etc.,  but  we  were  too  tired  for  much  sight-seeing 
to-day.  It  was  too  lovely  to  stay  indoors,  so  Jamie 
and  I  took  a  walk,  through  the  most  beautiful  woods, 

X46  ' 


STONEMAN  HOUSE,  YOSEMITE  VALLEY. 


along  the  Merced  River.  We  came  to  such  pretty 
bridges,  made  of  huge  logs,  which  tempted  us  to 
cross  over  to  a  lovely  little  island,  surrounded  by  fine 
rapids.  Still  another  log  bridge,  and  another,  en- 
ticed us  along,  until  we  had  wandered  some  dis- 
tance, and  seen  such  dainty  bits  of  views,  such  pict- 
uresque islands,  fine  trees,  and  dashing  rapids,  and 
real  beauty,  that  we  were  well  satisfied  with  our  morn- 
ing, and  felt  repaid  for  our  exertions  in  tramping. 

We  spent  a  quiet  afternoon  and  evening,  reading, 
etc.  I  managed  to  write  much  in  my  journal,  and 
we  both  felt  better  for  the  day's  rest. 

This  far-away  spot,  in  the  heart  of  the  Yosemite 
Valley,  sixty-five  miles  in  one  direction,  from  the 
railroad,  and  ninety  in  the  other,  seems  the  place  of 
meeting  for  all  nations.  The  Antipodes  appeared 
to-day,  in  one  stage-load.  One  man  from  Scotland, 
another  from  England,  one  from  Tasmania,  one 
from  North  Australia,  two  from  Calcutta,  one  from 
China,  came  to-day.  Two  are  here  from  Mexico, 
one  from  Germany,  and  America  is  well  repre- 
sented. 

SATURDAY,  JUNE  27TH. 

T  OVELY  day,  and  lovely  at  5.30  A.  M.,  when  we 
arose,  to  be  ready  to  go,  at  seven  o'clock,  to 
Mirror  Lake,  to  see  the  sun  rise  in  the  lake.  Mirror 
Lake  is  about  a  mile  from  the  hotel,  and  at  that 
hour  in  the  morning,  it  is  as  calm  and  smooth  as  a 
genuine  mirror.     Every   mountain   is   reflected,  as 

147 


clearly  as  it  is  seen  above  the  lake,  and  it  is  an  ex- 
quisite sight.  Groups  were  scattered  along  the 
shore,  gazing  at  one  rocky  reflection  in  the  water, 
called  the  "  Old  Man  in  the  Mountain."  About  a 
quarter  before  eight,  an  ominous  silence  showed 
that  all  were  intently  watching  a  little  rim  of  light, 
that  was  creeping  along  the  edge  of  this  rocky  pro- 
jection. It  seemed  a  halo  of  radiance,  and  deep- 
ened and  deepened,  until  all  at  once.  Old  Sol  made 
his  appearance,  reflecting  such  a  brilliant  blaze,  from 
the  depths  of  the  water,  that  one  could  look  but  a 
moment  at  him, — his  light  was  as  intense  as  an  elec- 
tric light.  It  was  a  most  unusual  experience.  We 
then  returned  to  the  hotel ;  but  the  rest  of  the  party 
separated  on  different  excursions. 

One  trip  is  to  Nevada  and  Vernal  Falls,  another 
to  an  immensely  high  point,  called  Glacier  Point. 
Both  trips  must  be  made  on  horseback,  or  mule  back ; 
and  although  James  and  I  had  planned  to  do  both, 
when  we  finally  came  into  the  valley,  a  peculiar 
nervousness  came  over  James,  and  seeing  his  condi- 
tion, I  could  not  urge  it.  The  trails  are  very  steep, 
and  make  some  people  so  dizzy,  that  they  have  to  be 
blind-folded  in  coming  down,  and  James  said  he  felt 
he  could  never  even  reach  the  top.  We  spent  a 
quiet  morning,  an  opportunity  I  seized  for  writing; 
and  after  lunch,  at  2  P.M.  we  took  a  carriage,  and  a 
good  guide,  and  drove  all  over  the  valley,  down  nine 
miles  below  the  beginning  of  the  valley,  in  the 
Caflon,  saw  all  the  falls,  all  points  of  interest,  etc., 

148 


EL  CAPITAN. 


and  were  gone  four  hours  and  a  half.     We  had  a 
lovely  time. 

We  went  first  to  Yosemite  Falls.  It  is  a  very 
high  waterfall,  and  is  divided  into  three  parts.  The 
upper  part  is  thirty-four  feet  wide,  at  the  top,  and 
drops  1,502  feet,  without  a  single  break.  The  middle 
fall  IS  over  50®  feet,  and  the  lower  487  feet,  making 
2,550  feet  of  waterfall.  It  is  the  finest  thing  of  the 
kind  we  have  ever  seen.  There  is  another,  in  the 
valley  opposite  this,  called  Sentinel  Fall,  which  is 
the  highest  in  the  Yosemite ;  it  falls  3,270  feet,  but 
is  broken  in  its  descent  many  times.  We  became 
familiar  with  the  great  rocks.  El  Capitan  (3,300  feet 
above  us).  The  Three  Brothers  (the  highest  rising 
3,630  feet,  above  the  valley).  The  Three  Graces, 
Cathedral  Spires,  North  Dome  (rising  3,700  feet). 
South,  or  Half  Dome  (5,000  feet  above  the  valley). 
They  are  superb,  and  all  rise,  as  you  see,  over  a  half 
mile,  and  one  nearly  a  mile,  right  up  into  the  air, 
on  all  sides  of  us.  There  are  many  more.  Sentinel 
Rock,  Washington  Column,  Star  King,  and  Cloud's 
Rest;  the  latter  is  9,772  feet  above  the  sea-level,  and 
5,780  feet  above  the  valley.  The  delicate  dainty 
waterfalls  are  many  in  number,  and  make  such  re- 
freshing contrasts,  with  the  great  granite  boulders. 
As  we  drove  down  the  valley,  the  driver  stopped 
near  El  Capitan,  and  asked  us  if  we  could  pick  out 
**  The  Lone  Tree.*'  Sure  enough,  there  in  a  crack 
in  the  rock,  1,000  feet  up  from  the  valley, 
with  no  other  trees  near  it,  grows  a  cedar  tree.     It 


looked  to  us  about  four  inches  high ;  but  it  measures 
just  125  feet  in  height.  We  climbed  up  the 
trail,  to  the  foot  of  Yosemite  Falls,  and  were 
well  repaid,  for  we  were  able  to  realize  better 
the  enormous  height  of  the  falls,  and  were  able 
to  get  good  and  wet,  with  the  heavy  spray. 
After  a  drive  to  the  Cascade  Fall,  and  along  a  series 
of  beautiful  rapids,  we  came  back,  close  to  the  beau- 
tiful ''  Bridal  Veil  Fall."  It  is  the  loveliest  in  the 
valley  !  It  falls  860  feet,  without  a  break,  and  it  is 
so  coquettishly  tossed  and  swayed,  by  every  breeze 
that  blows,  that  it  waves  and  curves,  in  a  most  fascin- 
ating manner.  About  five  o'clock  every  day,  the 
sun  touches  it,  in  such  a  way,  that  it  is  all  prismatic 
colors,  and  as  the  spray  is  tossed,  the  rainbow  wid- 
ens or  decreases,  rises  or  falls,  at  the  caprice  of  the 
zephyrs.  We  sat  in  the  carriage  a  long  time,  watch- 
ing the  picture.  One  minute,  the  rainbow  would 
sweep  across  the  rock,  in  a  broad  band  of  color,  for  a 
thousand  feet  or  more  ;  the  next  moment,  it  would 
arch  gracefully  over  the  rocks,  at  the  base  of  the  fall, 
or  perhaps  spread  upwards  like  a  ribbon.  It  was 
exquisite ! 

I  must  not  fail  to  mention  the  roads,  through 
which  we  drove,  the  most  picturesque  ever  seen. 
Overgrown  with  ferns,  wild  flowers,  vines,  the  great 
trees  themselves,  with  lovely  green  moss  on  them, 
the  driveways  in  the  valley  are  most  beautiful,  in 
their  very  wildness.  We  agreed  when  we  returned, 
that  of  all  our  drives  in  Colorado,  and  elsewhere, 

ISO 


none  had  surpassed,  in  wild  beauty  and  grandeur, 
this  drive  of  ours,  in  the  Yosemite  Valley. 

A  letter  written  home  was  the  only  incident  of 
the  evening. 

SUNDAY,  JUNE  28TH. 

TDEAUTIFUL  day,  but  it  began  very  warm,  and 
promised  a  regular  broiler !  James  and  I 
breakfasted  at  the  very  last  minute,  as  usual,  then  sat 
on  the  piazza  awhile,  with  the  K — s,  Mrs.  J —  and 
a  party  from  Peekskill,  then  came  to  our  rooms  for 
a  quiet  morning,  which  I  spent  in  writing  my 
journal.  About  noon,  we  all  congregated  on  the 
piazza,  to  see  three  stage  loads,  of  hot  dusty  passen- 
gers, arrive.  Gen.  Schofield,  and  his  new  wife,  ar- 
rived, with  a  little  coterie  of  friends,  also  an  Eng- 
lish Baronet, — Sir  F.  and  Lady  B.  After  lunch, 
James  and  I  again  sought  the  seclusion  of  our  own 
apartment,  one  reading,  while  the  other  wrote. 

Yesterday,  we  were  much  amused,  by  a  conversa- 
tion I  had,  with  our  guide  and  driver,  on  the  proba- 
ble formation  of  this  Yosemite  Valley.  Some  sci- 
entists hold  to  the  Volcanic  theory, — that  much  has 
been  split  and  broken,  by  volcanic  action,  earth- 
quakes, and  such  forces.  In  fact,  we  know  it  all 
came  to  be,  in  the  beginning,  by  these  great  forces. 
The  greater  number  of  scientists,  however,  hold  to 
the  glacial  formation,  to  the  rounding  and  polishing 
and  cutting,  of  these  great  masses,  by  the  ice  action 
of  later  date  ;  and  to  me,  this  is  the  most  plausible 

151 


of  any  theory.  There  are  positive  evidences,  on 
every  side,  of  glacial  action,  and  proofs  positive, 
by  terminal  moraines,  in  this  immediate  neighbor- 
hood. It  is  as  clearly  the  result  of  the  Ice  Age,  as 
anything  we  have  yet  seen.  Great  rocks  are  piled 
upon  one  another ;  then,  every  once  in  a  while,  a 
tremendous  boulder  is  isolated,  in  some  green  field ; 
and  the  question  arises  at  once, — how  did  that 
great  mass  get  there  ?  Oh,  if  some  spirit,  or  power, 
could  make  these  great  rocks  unfold  their  secret, 
and  speak  of  the  mysteries  of  their  being !  If  a  sin- 
gle stone  would  only  confess  its  secret,  and  turn 
state's  evidence  on  the  spot,  what  a  blessing  it 
would  be  to  science,  and  what  a  blow  to  some  cher- 
ished theories  and  laws !  But  no  :  each  little  stone, 
however  small,  each  blade  of  grass  and  tiniest  leaf, 
keep  folded  up,  within  their  breasts,  the  story  of 
their  birth ;  and  the  inquirer  goes  away,  little  wiser 
than  he  came.  All  bask  in  the  sunshine,  and  smile 
together,  in  their  silent  splendor  and  happiness,  and 
keep  their  secrets,  until  the  Author  of  their  being 
shall  bid  them  speak.  The  waterfalls  and  cascades 
sing  away  the  hours,  but  their  language  is  one  of 
sounds  and  sighings ;  and  no  student,  of  even  the 
ancient  hieroglyphics,  has  yet  interpreted  their  little 
humming  and  murmuring  songs.  So  we  leave  the 
beautiful  Yosemite  Valley,  in  its  silent  grandeur; 
but  we  feel  wiser  and  better  in  our  hearts,  because 
we  have  beheld  and  pondered  awhile,  on  these  won 
ders  of  our  God. 

153 


Our  Sunday  evening  was  spent  on  the  piazza  of 
the  Stoneman  House,  in  the  pleasant  company  of 
the  Peekskill  party.  Being  friends  of  Mrs.  Gen.  S. 
before  her  marriage,  she,  of  course,  joined  them 
here ;  and  James  and  I  met  her,  and  were  pleased 
with  her  simple  girlish  manners,  and  shall  meet  her 
again  in  San  Francisco. 

James  foolishly  went  to  the  piazza,  about  five 
o'clock,  to  look  at  the  thermometer.  In  the  office,  it 
was  84  degrees ;  on  the  piazza,  it  was  98  degrees,  in 
the  shade,  and  in  the  sun,  115  degrees.  We  nearly 
melted,  after  we  knew  how  hot  it  was ;  but  in  the 
evening,  it  was  delightfully  cool  and  comfortable. 

It  is  beautiful  here ;  the  Valley  is  exquisite,  with 
its  carpet  of  ferns,  and  wild  flowers,  and  the  great 
rock  mountains,  so  majestic  and  wonderful,  some  so 
high,  with  their  crowns  of  pure  white  snow — looking 
like  a  great  white  throne,  waiting  for  its  King. 

MONDAY,   JUNE   29TH. 

A  T  half-past  four  o'clock  this  morning,  the  porter 
knocked  on  our  door,  and  James  and  I  were 
up  in  a  twinkle,  and  dressed  and  ready  for  breakfast, 
at  a  quarter  past  five.  It  was  hard  to  get  up,  but 
once  started,  it  was  delightful ;  and  the  earliest 
hours  of  the  day  are  always  so  quiet  and  peaceful. 

At  6  A.  M.  sharp,  we  were  in  our  high  seats  by  the 
driver,  and  started  promptly  for  our  long  drive, 
which,  for  eight  miles  through  the  Valley,  was  ideal ; 
— the  birds  sang  a  good-bye  to  us,  and  we  were 

153 


really  sorry  to  leave.  Some  tourists  were  out,  with 
rod  and  line,  ready  to  catch  fish,  and  bugs,  too  ;  for 
we  had  a  naturalist  in  our  midst,  from  the  Smith- 
sonian Institute,  who  was  collecting  and  prepar- 
ing specimens,  for  classification.  After  driving 
through  the  ferns  and  flowers,  our  road  turned  sud- 
denly ;  and  for  two  full  hours,  the  dear  old  horses 
pulled  and  tugged,  panted  and  perspired,  dragging 
the  heavy  stage-load  of  passengers,  up  a  very  steep 
hill,  rising  half  a  mile  in  five  miles,  such  an  incline 
as  we  had  not  been  up  before.  Our  drive  of  twenty- 
six  miles,  to  Wawona,  which  place  we  reached  at 
twelve  o'clock,  was  most  interesting  and  exciting. 
Our  trip  into  the  Valley  was  a  little  nerve-trying,  as 
we  had  a  driver  we  could  not  feel  confidence  in,  and 
a  man  who  made  his  horses  too  nervous  and  excita- 
ble. As  we  turned  those  dangerous  curves,  on  the 
edge  of  the  precipices,  we  were  frightened  by  his 
carelessness,  and  really  dreaded  the  drive  out.  It 
was  such  a  magnificent  trip,  however,  that  we  were 
sorry  when  it  was  at  an  end ;  and  we  can  look  for- 
ward with  pleasure,  to  coming  into  the  Yosemite 
Valley  again,  with  the  same  driver  we  had  to-day, — 
Uriah  Toby  by  name, — or  as  the  children  call  him, 
"  Maria."  Owing  to  his  skillful  management,  we 
turned  those  sharp  curves,  and  flew  over  hills,  and 
through  the  valleys,  with  only  interest  and  excite- 
ment in  our  progress,  and  not  one  fear,  as  to  our 
safety. 

After  reaching  Wawona  and  having  lunch,  at  1. 15 

154 


p.  M.  we  started  again  in  a  stage,  with  Toby,  to  visit 
the  Big  Trees.  It  was  broiling  then, — the  sun  was 
at  his  highest,  and  was  sending  down  burning  bolts 
upon  our  already  hot  heads ;  but  we  were  soon  so 
interested  in  our  surroundings,  that  we  forgot  the 
heat,  and  decided  finally,  that  we  would  rather  bake, 
in  the  process  of  seeing  those  giants  of  the  Sierra 
Nevadas,  than  not  to  see  them  at  all.  The  great 
trees  of  Mariposa  County,  grow  in  the  highest  alti- 
tude ;  and  in  our  drive  of  eight  miles,  to  the  Big 
Trees,  we  went  up  2,600  feet,  bringing  us  to  an  al- 
titude of  between  6,500  and  6,600  feet.  The  Sugar 
Pines  and  Cedars,  of  the  evergreen  tribe,  were  tre- 
mendous, in  the  woods  through  which  we  passed  ; 
and  we  exclaimed,  dozens  of  times,  as  some  straight 
trunk  raised  its  branches  to  nearly  two  hundred 
feet ; — but  when  we  saw  the  Big  Trees, — the  real 
live  wonders  of  the  forests,  we  could  not  find  words 
to  express  our  surprise  and  admiration.  They  si- 
lence one  completely  !  As  we  drove  along,  these 
giant  trees,  with  their  red  trunks,  stood  by  our 
roadway,  like  huge  monsters ;  and  the  "  Three  Sen- 
tinels "  were  our  first  introduction,  to  this  peculiar 
specimen  of  forest  growth,  the  "  Sequoia  Gigantea," 
which  is  more  ancient  than  any  other  family  of 
trees.  Then,  in  groups  of  twos  and  threes,  some- 
times more,  we  met  these  giants,  and  were  lost  in 
admiration,  as  we  gazed  at  trees  which,  scientists 
say,  are  fully  5,000  years  old!  "The  Three 
Sisters  "  stood  on  one  side  of  the  drive,  with  "  The 

15s 


Big  Brother  "  opposite.  "  Princeton,"  "  Harvard," 
*' Lincoln,"  "Washington,"  "The  Faithful  Couple," 
with  "  Brooklyn  "  and  "  New  York  "  near,  "  Massa- 
chusetts "  not  far  from  "  St.  Louis,"  and  so  many 
gigantic  giants  surrounded  us,  that  we  were  abso- 
lutely getting  accustomed  to  their  size,  until  we 
came  to  the  greatest  of  all.  "The  Grizzley,**  it  is 
called,  or  "Yo  Semite,"  which  means  the  same 
thing.  We  all  left  the  stages  here,  to  walk  about 
this  monster,  which  is  thirty-three  feet  in  diameter ; 
and  eight  feet  up  from  the  ground,  it  measures  one 
hundred  and  one  feet  in  circumference.  It  stands  two 
hundred  and  ninety  feet  high,  and  one  of  its 
branches  is  six  feet  in  diameter.  It  is  collossal, 
grand,  magnificent,  its  trunk  so  dark  and  red,  so 
massive  and  tremendous !  Another  great  wonder  is 
the  tree  "Wawona,"  through  which  we  drove. 
When  the  Indians  lived  in  these  woods,  they  used 
to  burn  them  out  every  year,  to  clear  away  the  un- 
derbrush, so  they  could  hunt  better.  Some  of  these 
huge  monsters  were  badly  burned,  and  Wawona 
was  also  damaged,  so  that,  some  one  in  authority, 
tried  the  experiment  of  cutting  out  the  burned  part, 
and  making  a  drive-way  through  the  tree.  It  is  a 
grand  success,  and  is  a  wonder!  A  four-horse 
stage  goes  through  easily,  and  as  the  tree  is  twenty- 
eight  feet  in  diameter,  the  opening  accommodates 
not  only  the  stage,  but  both  pairs  of  horses,  with  the 
exception  of  the  leaders'  heads.  The  two  tallest 
trees  in  the  entire  grove  (which  contains  about  six 

156 


WAWONA. 


hundred  mammoth  trees,  four  hundred  of  which  are 
marvels),  measure  three  hundred  and  thirty-seven 
feet.  If  any  one  will  take  a  cord,  and  measure  one 
hundred  and  one  feet,  then  place  it  in  a  circle,  a  little 
idea  can  be  obtained  of  the  size  of  "  The  Grizzley," 
the  largest  of  all  trees.  We  all  stopped  at  a  little 
log  cabin,  where  the  **  Guardian  "  lives,  for  these 
woods  are  carefully  protected  from  fire  and  damage. 
We  found  samples  of  bark  and  wood,  cones  of  huge 
size,  and  some  curios.  The  strangest  thing  is,  that 
these  huge  cones  are  not  the  fruit  of  the  biggest  trees. 
The  huge  trees  have  small  cones,  but  the  sugar 
pines  have  the  large  ones.  These  pines  have  often 
the  bright  green  moss  on  their  trunks  ;  and  as  the 
moss  always  grows  on  the  north  side  of  a  tree,  the 
Indians  used  them  as  their  compasses,  and  guides. 
They  could  always  tell  the  points  of  the  compass,  by 
the  moss-trees. 

While  at  this  "  Log  Cabin,"  we  all  climbed  up,  by 
means  of  a  ladder,  on  to  the  trunk  of  one  of  the  big 
trees,  which  had  fallen.  It  accommodated  about 
twenty  of  us,  on  the  roots  alone.  It  was  huge ! — A 
great  giant,  named  "  Grant,"  stood  near  the  cabin, 
and  somebody  suggested  that  we  should  make  a 
circle,  and  see  how  many  it  took,  to  surround  the 
trunk  of  a  moderate  sized  tree.  Accordingly  we 
joined  hands  about  the  tree,  and  then,  breaking  the 
circle,  straightened  out  in  a  line,  *'to  count  noses." 
Consternation  showed  on  many  faces,  as  our  count 
stood  ''thirteen."      "  How  dreadful !  "   said   some- 

157 


body.  *'  Oh,  dear !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  W.,  of  Tas- 
mania, to  me,  *' that's  bad  luck;  I  wouldn't  have 
had  that  happen  for  anything!"  "  What  happen  ?** 
said  I.  "  Why,  there  were  thirteen  of  us  around 
that  tree."  "  No,  indeed ;  there  were  fourteen  of 
us  in  all,"  quoth  I ;  "  surely  the  tree  counted  for 
something,  and  made  fourteen  of  us."  We  had  a 
fine  time  there ;  then  taking  our  seats  beside  Toby 
again,  we  had  a  flying  trip  down  the  mountain  to 
Wawona  ;  and  although  we  had  driven  forty-six 
miles,  since  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  had  been 
eleven  hours  in  the  stage,  we  were  really  sorry  to 
think  that  our  day  was  over.  One  thing  I  must 
chronicle, — it  takes  nineteen  people,  with  arms  out- 
stretched, to  encircle  old  Mr.  Grizzley. 

In  the  evening  we  chatted  with  our  German 
bride  and  groom,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  M.,  of  Mexico,  and 
the  Peekskill  party;  and  we  went  again  to  Mr.  Hill's 
studio,  where  James  presented  me  with  two  sou- 
venirs, painted  on  the  natural  wood  of  the  big  trees, 
one  of  **  Wawona"  with  the  driveway,  the  other  of 
Bridal  Veil  Falls,  in  Yosemite,  both  lovely,  and  Mr. 
Hill's  work. 

TUESDAY,  JUNE  30TH. 

■^OTHING  but  awful  heat  to  chronicle  to-day. 
At  8  a.m.  we  started  in  the  stage,  for  the  dusty 
and  disagreeable  part  of  the  Yosemite  trip,  the  drive 
from  Wawona  to  Raymond.  It  is  thirty-nine  miles, 
and  takes  from  eight  o'clock  until  half  past  eleven, 

158 


when  we  stopped  for  luncheon  at  Grant's.  Then 
from  half  past  twelve,  to  half  past  five,  it  was  dread- 
ful,— so  hot  we  could  hardly  breathe — but  while 
everybody  perspired  and  groaned,  James  and  I  had 
not  one  drop  of  perspiration,  to  moisten  gloves  or 
collars.  We  stopped  at  a  little  mining  camp,  to 
take  on  a  mail  bag  (a  place  bearing  the  refined  name 
of  "  Grub  Gulch"),  and  seeing  a  thermometer  hanging 
near,  asked  the  man  to  let  us  look  at  it.  It  hung 
in  the  shade,  but  I  saw,  with  mine  own  eyes,  the 
mercury  at  105  degrees.  We  were  driving  in  the 
sun,  and  it  must  have  been  ten  degrees  hotter. 
When  we  reached  Raymond,  at  5.30  P.M.  the  ther- 
mometer stood  at  108  degrees.  We  had  our  supper 
there,  then  took  the  train  for  Berenda,  and  in  the 
car,  the  thermometer  was  102  degrees,  at  8  P.M. 
James  and  I  felt  as  if  we  were  burning  up,  inside  and 
outside,  but  we  were  as  dry  as  bones!  Queer  heat 
it  was,  not  a  drop  of  moisture  in  it. 

The  car  for  San  Francisco,  in  which  all  our  party 
were,  goes  to  Berenda,  where  it  is  side-tracked  until 
3  A.M.  when  a  Los  Angeles  train,  going  to  San 
Francisco,  picks  it  up.  We  had  to  leave  the  train 
and  wait  at  Berenda,  from  8  to  10.25  P.M.,  when  a 
train,  going  to  Los  Angeles,  picked  us  up. 

Berenda  consists  of  a  station  and  nine  houses,  by 
actual  count !  When  we  left  the  train,  the  porter 
said:  "There  are  generally  lots  of  tramps  about, 
you  had  better  keep  close  to  your  baggage."  We 
could  not  find  chairs,  or  even  a  bench,  so  we  took  a 

159 


baggage  truck,  put  our  things  on  it,  James  loaded 
his  pistol,  and  we  sat  ourselves  down  to  watch  and 
wait,  with  the  one  mild  man  who  was  going  our  way. 
Soon,  down  the  tracks,  walked  a  little  party  of  our 
friends  from  the  car,  who  came  to  pay  us  a  visit. 
After  a  while,  as  the  extreme  heat  made  us  thirsty, 
(at  Berenda,  the  thermometer  had  been  117  degrees) 
these  good  friends  carried  me  with  them,  to  the  car, 
(one  remaining  with  James),  and  treating  me  as  a 
guest,  they  entertained  me  accordingly.  Then  they 
escorted  me  back;  and  some  of  the  gentlemen.  Dr. 
B of  England,  and  Mr.  W of  Tasmania,  re- 
mained with  us  until  ten  o'clock,  so  our  weary  vigil 
was  brightened  and  shortened.  At  last,  our  train 
came  ;  we  boarded  it,  engaged  the  Drawing  Room, 
and  were  soon  as  comfortable  as  we  have  ever  been,  in 
any  place,  on  such  a  warm  night,  and  were  too  tired 
to  stay  awake,  to  comment  on  the  heat. 


160 


SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA 


WEDNESDAY,  JULY  1ST. 

A  S  James  and  I  have  comforted  ourselves  all 
along,  by  saying,  "It  is  not  half  as  warm  as  it 
might  be,"  so  we  started  out  this  morning,  and 
although  we  kept  hearing  people  groan,  on  all  sides 
of  us,  and  poor  little  children  cry,  we  were  remarka- 
bly comfortable.  The  thermometer  performed  some 
famous  gymnastics,  however,  a  record  of  which  I 
kept  as  we  went  along. 

We  breakfasted  at  Mojave,  a  most  God-forsaken 
place,  at  the  entrance  to  the  Desert  of  Mojave,  and 
we  had  an  awful  meal.  The  thermometer  we  saw 
there,  at  half  past  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  regis- 
tered 98  degrees.  In  our  car  it  was  99  degrees,  and 
at  noon,  the  thermometer  stood  at  100  degrees. 
Last  night  at  Raymond,  one  queer  thing  was  the 
amount  of  heat,  which  was  communicated  to  every 
dish  and  spoon.  I  lifted  a  glass  dish,  full  of  nuts  and 
raisins,  and  it  was  so  hot  I  could  hardly  hold  it ;  and 
every  spoon  and  fork,  and  every  dish  and  glass  was 
hot^  not  merely  warm,  but  burning. 

We  had  quite  a  comfortable  trip,  in  spite  of  the 
161 


heat.  Nothing  was  interesting,  for  we  came  through 
a  desert,  whose  only  redeeming  feature  was  the  pe- 
culiar growth  of  cacti,  or  Yucca  Palm.  These  large 
tree-palms  grow  in  among  the  sage-brush,  and  are  as 
large,  oftentimes,  as  apple  trees.  They  give  a  little 
variety  to  the  dreariness,  and  are  remarkable  in  them- 
selves, but  they  have  no  real  beauty,  and  only  vary 
the  monotony. 

James  made  such  an  impression  on  all  the  train 
men  to-day,  that  they  could  not  do  enough  for  him. 
He  expressed  a  desire  to  ride  on  the  engine,  and  the 
conductor  promised  he  should  ;  and  he  went,  and  had 
a  glorious  time,  '*  The  event  of  my  trip,"  he  ex- 
claimed when  he  returned  ;  **  it  was  most  interesting 
and  exciting.'* 

We  reached  Los  Angeles  at  2.30  P.M.  and  came  at 
once  to  the  Westminster  Hotel,  where  letters  from 
home  greeted  us,  to  our  joy. 

THURSDAY,    JULY  2ND. 

T  T  P  at  about  half  past  eight,  to  find  the  day  bright 
and  lovely,  but  warm  already.  After  break- 
fast, James  and  I  wandered  about  the  streets,  look- 
ing in  shop  windows,  etc.,  until  twelve  o'clock, 
when  we  returned,  I  to  write,  James  to  read. 

After  lunch  and  a  rest,  James  and  I  went  out,  at 
5  P.  M.,  for  a  lovely  drive,  all  over  the  City  of  Los 
Angeles.  The  heat  here  disappears  at  sunset,  and 
the  nights  are  always  cool  and  delightful.  We 
chose  a  splendid  time  for  a  drive,  for  the  lights  and 

162 


shadows  were  beautiful.  Los  Angeles  is  as  pretty 
a  city  as  one  can  wish  to  see.  The  houses  are, 
many  of  them,  really  magnificent ;  but  the  full 
glory  of  the  place  is  in  the  trees.  Pepper  trees,  with 
their  delicate  dainty  foliage,  line  the  streets,  with 
palms,  planted  in  wild  profusion  anywhere  and 
everywhere, — palms  that  grow  like  our  commonest 
trees,  before  houses  of  every  grade,  the  lowliest 
cottage  having,  before  its  door,  the  finest  of  palm 
trees,  banana  trees,  and  bushes,  and  shrubs.  Rose 
bushes  climb  all  over  everything,  even  creep  up  on 
to  the  roofs  of  houses,  and  cover  them  oftentimes 
with  such  a  luxurious  growth  of  vines  and  blossoms. 
Rubber  trees,  as  big  as  our  chestnuts — only  not  so 
tall, — great  magnolia  trees  in  full  blossom ;  dates,  fifty 
years  old  and  older,  and  oh,  such  wealth  of  beautiful 
buds  and  blossoms !  Los  Angeles  attracts  us  more 
than  any  little  city  we  have  seen,  since  we  started. 
The  buildings  are  large  and  imposing,  the  streets 
finely  paved,  and  everything  has  an  air  of  wealth 
and  luxury.  Judge  Silent's  place  is  a  marvel  of 
beauty.  The  driver  said,  in  answer  to  our  exclama- 
tion of  delight,  **  If  that  place  pleases  you  now,  you 
should  see  it  when  all  the  flowers  are  in  bloom — in 
mid-winter — then  the  air  is  almost  sickening,  it  is  so 
sweet  from  the  flowers." 

Of  course  we  are  here  in  the  wrong  season,  for 
winter  is  the  time  for  Southern  California,  but  we 
think  it  better  to  see  it  now,  and  dream  what  it 
must  be  in  winter,  than  not  to  see  it  at  all. 

163 


FRIDAY,  JULY  3RD. 

'PROM  Los  Angeles  to  Coronado.  We  were 
obliged  to  make  an  early  start  this  morning,  and 
were  up  soon  after  six  o'clock,  having  breakfast  at 
seven,  and  at  half-past  seven,  we  started  for  the 
train,  which  brought  us  to  San  Diego.  Being  the 
day  before  the  "  Glorious  Fourth,"  a  crowd  was  an- 
ticipated, and  we  were  advised  to  reach  the  train  in 
plenty  of  time,  to  secure  good  seats  in  the  sleeper ; 
(there  are  no  chair  cars  here,  such  as  we  have  in  the 
East).  It  was  a  very  bright  day,  and  we  had  a  very 
dusty  and  warm  trip,  until  we  suddenly  came  to  the 
Pacific  Coast,  when  it  was  lovely  and  cool,  and  has 
been  so  ever  since.  We  passed  through  such  funny 
little  towns  on  our  way — so  Spanish  in  name  and 
appearance.  Many  of  the  towns  and  cities  are 
Spanish  in  language,  the  inhabitants  having  come 
from  Mexico.  Santa  Anna  is  one,  Sorrento  (Italian 
flavor)  another,  San  Juan  by  the  Sea,  Encinetas, 
Orange,  San  Fernando,  etc.  All  are  small  villages, 
with  most  unattractive  surrounding  country,  for  the 
desert  makes  itself  at  home,  even  in  Southern  Cali- 
fornia, and  in  spite  of  labor  and  irrigation,  the  white 
alkali  dust  rises  to  the  surface,  and  must  be  so  dis- 
couraging to  the  people,  who  work  hard  to  rid  them- 
selves of  it.  It  has  always  been  my  idea,  that  all 
Southern  California  was  fertile  and  beautiful,  with 
flowers,  vineyards  and  orange  groves  ;  and  our  first 
introduction  to  the  State  was  to  decidedly  deepen 

164 


that  impression.  No  more  beautiful  country  can 
exist,  than  that  between  San  Francisco  and  Del 
Monte,  and  no  more  fertile^farm  lands,  fine  orchards, 
flowers  and  fruits.  The  Santa  Clara  Valley,  through 
which  we  drove  to  Mt.  Hamilton,  was  ideal,  not  one 
inch,  on  hill  or  dale,  uncultivated  or  uncared  for.  A 
veritable  park  it  is,  all  that  vast  valley,  and  most 
beautiful.  Of  course,  the  further  south  we  came,  the 
more  fertile  we  expected  the  country  to  be.  Imag- 
ine our  horror,  when  a  regular  Nebraska  desert,  a 
vast  and  dreary  waste,  confronted  us  on  our  jour- 
ney to  Los  Angeles.  It  does  not  extend  to  Los 
Angeles,  but  within  forty  miles  of  it.  Beyond  beau- 
tiful Los  Angeles,  the  desert  conditions  prevail  in 
part,  and  especially  barren  are  the  lands  near  San 
Diego,  along  the  ocean.  But  every  farmer,  and 
every  humble  cottager,  has  planted  brilliant  gerani- 
ums, which  grow  like  trees,  bright  yellow  daisies, 
pink  asters,  and  all  kinds  of  flowers,  about  the  mod- 
est tumble-down  homes ; — vines  crawl  all  over  them, 
and  the  dreary  surroundings  are  forgotten,  in  the 
flood  of  color,  which  make  a  pathway  of  beauty, 
through  which  the  train  passes.  The  approach  to 
San  Diego  was  very  picturesque  and  foreign  in  as- 
pect. The  harbor  is  marvelously  fine,  one  of  the 
best  on  the  coast,  and  the  land  rises  very  perpen- 
dicularly about  the  town,  and  makes  a  half  circle  of 
mountains,  an  artistic  background  for  the  pretty 
little  city,  which  is  built  on  a  series  of  foot-hills. 
We  did  not  wait   long,  however,  to  admire  San 

165 


Diego,  but  jumped  into  a  Hotel  Del  Coronado  stage, 
and  were  driven  to  the  ferry-boat,  a  little  one-horse 
concern,  which  soon  carried  us  safely  across  to  Coro- 
nado, which  is  a  sand  peninsular,  curving  around 
like  Fire  Island,  or  Sandy  Hook.  The  Hotel  is  a 
mile  or  more  from  the  landing,  and  the  drive  to  it 
was  a  pretty  one.  There  is  a  steam  motor,  as  they 
call  it,  which  flies  all  over  the  island,  up  to  the 
Hotel,  etc.;  and  the  railroad  is  lined,  on  both  sides, 
with  magnificent  great  palm  trees,  placed  about 
twenty  feet  apart,  quite  regularly  planted,  making 
an  avenue  of  palms,  through  which  the  railroad 
passes.  I  counted  for  a  while,  then  grew  tired ;  but 
half  way  up,  there  were  two  hundred  and  thirty 
palms.  I  have  never  seen  such  tropical  growth  as 
is  here  in  Southern  California.  The  commonest 
flowers  grow  on  bushes,  almost  like  trees. 

As  we  drove  up  to  the  Hotel  Del  Coronado  (or 
Hotel  of  a  Crown),  we  were  greatly  impressed  by  its 
magnificent  dimensions.  It  is  simply  huge,  and  a 
magnificent  structure,  in  a  most  attractive  and  artis- 
tic style  of  architecture.  Gables,  chimneys,  balcon- 
ies, appear  in  the  most  unexpected  places,  and  in 
the  most  picturesque  positions.  It  is  built  around 
a  court,  full  of  beautiful  blossoms,  just  as  Del 
Monte  is,  and  is  quite  foreign ;  and  the  interior  is 
beautiful.  Fine  rooms  open  one  from  the  other, 
billiard  rooms  for  ladies,  writing  rooms,  beautiful  re- 
ception rooms,  a  most  elegant  music  room  (the  finest 
I  have  ever  seen),  with  a  daintily  decorated  and  artis- 

i66 


tic  stage,  and  pianos  are  everywhere.  It  is  situated, 
like  our  Oriental,  directly  on  the  sea,  and  has  just 
the  surroundings  of  our  beach  hotel.  A  museum, 
containing  fine  specimens,  a  hot-plunge  bathing 
house,  cold  ones  as  well,  surround  the  Hotel  in  sepa- 
rate buildings,  and  make  it  attractive  to  all  kinds  of 
people.  The  dining  room,  which  is  beautiful,  is 
made  of  Eastern  oak,  walls,  floor  and  ceiling,  and 
every  inch  of  this  wood  highly  polished.  At  dinner 
there  is  always  music ;  four  well-trained  musicians 
play  good  selections,  and  make  the  dinner  hour  most 
attractive.  The  furniture  of  the  dining  room  is  un- 
usually fine  for  a  hotel.  High  oak  chairs  with  tapes- 
try seats,  such  as  one  would  have  in  a  home,  with 
round  and  square  tables,  little  and  big,  and  fine 
china,  good  silver,  glass  and  flowers  on  every 
table,  make  an  attractive  dining  room.  This  room 
seats,  without  crowding,  five  hundred  people ;  in 
"  the  season,"  it  accommodates  seven  hundred.  We 
were  there  out  of  season,  but  there  were  several 
hundred  people  then. 

James  and  I  did  not  begin  to  enjoy  it,  as  we  did 
Del  Monte.  At  Del  Monte,  the  Hotel  is  "  as  clean 
as  a  pin,"  and  although  not  so  gorgeous,  it  is  more 
attractive  to  us.  We  were  always  out  under  the 
trees,  and  among  the  flowers.  At  Del  Coronado, 
one  walk  about  the  grounds  was  sufficient,  and 
then  a  person  contentedly  stayed  at  the  Hotel. 

After    lunch,    James,   Mr.    D (the  German 

acquaintance  of  the  Yosemite,  whom  we  met  on 

167 


the  train  to-day)  and  I,  walked  about  awhile ;  then, 
as  I  had  a  violent  headache,  we  sat  on  the  fine 
broad  piazza  and  kept  deliciously  cool. 

About  nine  o'clock,  a  gentleman  came  along  the 
piazza,  and  asked  some  ladies,  whom  he  knew,  to 
come  to  the  Music  Room  ;  they  were  to  have  some 
fun, — '*  a  fight  to  the  finish,"  he  said.  Turning  to- 
wards us,  he  asked  us  to  go  also.  James,  Mr.  D. 
and  I  went  in,  and  enjoyed  a  funny  performance. 
It  seems  they  had  gotten  up  a  little  merriment,  at 
short  notice.  There  was  much  musical  talent  on 
hand,  so  they  began  with  a  fine  piano  solo, — then 
followed  duetts,  trios,  solos,  recitations,  etc.  A 
right  funny  young  man,  with  ready  wit,  announced 
the  performers.  "  The  proprietor  had  gathered 
together,  at  great  expense,  a  fine  lot  of  talented  art- 
tistes,  etc.,  etc.,"  this  young  man  remarked.  "  The 
first  piece  on  the  programme,  will  be  a  piano  solo, 
entitled  *  The  best  I  can,'  by  Moszkowski."  Later 
he  came  on  to  the  stage  and  announced,  that  "  a 
celebrated  artist  had  been  prevailed  upon  to  appear, 
but  although  highly  talented,  he  was  likewise  mod- 
est and  needed  encouragement."  Two  bell-boys 
marched  onto  the  stage,  one  with  a  music  stand,  the 
other  with  a  table,  and  then  in  came  another,  carry- 
ing a  child's  hand  organ,  A  fine  looking  man,  in 
evening  dress,  walked  in  amid  deafening  applause, 
put  his  sheet  of  music  on  the  stand  ;  the  announcer 
turned  his  pages,  and  in  the  most  solemn  and  earn- 
est   manner,    he  ground   out     "  Annie    Rooney." 

i68 


Once  or  twice  his  music  fell  off;  he  stopped,  and 
with  great  seriousness  found  his  place  again. 
Finally  his  right  hand  grew  tired,  for  he  had  played 
It  over,  at  least  six  times, — his  left  hand  was  then 
exercised,  and  growing  bodily  weary,  he  seated  him- 
self on  the  table, — all  done  with  great  dignity  and 
solemnity.  It  was  quite  funny.  The  last  part  of 
the  performance  was  a  miniature  prize  fight.  Two 
diminutive  boys  came  in,  with  their  attendants,  all 
in  shirt  sleeves,  no  collars  or  cravats,  with  towels  to 
rub  down,  ice  to  put  on  their  heads,  a  formidable 
black  bottle,  and  all  the  requirements  of  a  genuine 
ring  fight.  Arrangements  were  made,  rules  closely 
followed, — the  Marquis  of  Tewksbury's  rules  in 
order,  and  as  James  said,  "  every  detail  of  a  genu- 
ine fight."  How  the  audience  roared  with  laugh- 
ter! The  Pacific,  in  its  wildest  moods,  could  not 
have  drowned  that  noise. 

SATURDAY,  JULY  4TH. 

A  FOURTH  of  July  odor  was  in  the  air,  when  we 
awoke  this  morning, — a  sort  of  powder  per- 
fume and  fire-cracker  atmosphere,  and  the  small  boy 
had  been  up  for  hours,  no  doubt.  Of  course,  the 
day  was  pleasant,  for  it  always  is  pleasant  here,  at 
this  time  of  the  year,  as  no  rain  ever  falls.  A  more 
even  temperature  cannot  be  found,  than  in  South- 
ern California.  The  thermometer  seldom  varies 
twenty  degrees,  all  the  year  round,  and  snow  is  un- 
known, except  on  the  highest  peaks  of  the  moun- 

169 


tains.  No  wonder  palms  and  plants  can  grow  and 
become  trees,  in  a  year  or  two. 

James  greeted  me,  when  I  joined  him  for  break- 
fast, with  the  announcement  that  the  warship 
Charleston  was  in  sight, — had  brought  the  Chilean 
Itata  in,  and  was  anchored  just  off  the  hotel.  Sure 
enough,  there  she  lay,  a  fine  picture  and  surprise  for 
a  Fourth  of  July  morning,  and  a  beauty  she  was, 
too, — so  white  in  the  sunshine.  Crowds  of  people 
came  all  day  to  Coronado,  to  see  the  "  Keeper  of  the 
Peace,"  and  the  entire  place  was  crowded  from 
morning  till  evening.  We  watched  the  ship  and  the 
crowds,  sat  on  the  piazza,  and  walked,  and  had  a 
nap  in  the  afternoon. 

After  dinner,  although  every  available  spot  was 
full,  we  found  a  comfortable  corner,  and  watched  the 
fire-works,  which  were  displayed  from  a  private 
yacht  anchored  near,  belonging  to  the  Millionaire 
Spreckles,  of  San  Francisco.  We  were  not  alto- 
gether pleased,  and  were  trying  to  keep  our  senti- 
ments to  ourselves,  when  a  queer  and  strange  ap- 
pearance in  the  sky,  like  long  tails  of  light  moving 
mysteriously,  attracted  us.  Going  down  on  one  of 
the  walks,  we  soon  saw  that  the  Charleston  was 
taking  her  turn,  at  lighting  up  the  heavens  and  earth, 
and  was  having  Fourth  of  July  celebration,  with  her 
electric  search  light.  In  bands  of  light,  then  great 
flashes,  sometimes  in  one  spot,  sometimes  chasing 
each  other  in  a  circle  on  the  sky,  these  great  fingers 
of  fire  illuminated  the  entire  horizon.    Two  powerful 

170 


reflecting  head-lights  could  be  seen  on  the  ship, 
and  from  their  intensely  bright  centres,  the  rays 
seemed  to  fly  out  into  space,  searching  every  nook 
and  corner  with  its  radius.  As  we  stood  there,  one 
minute  in  darkness,  the  next  in  a  blaze  of  brilliancy, 
we  agreed  that  the  Charleston  had  out-shone  all 
fire-works,  in  her  unusual  and  dazzling  display.  It 
was  the  most  interesting  thing  to  us,  and  we  re- 
turned well  pleased  with  our  quiet  Fourth. 

MONDAY  JULY  6TH. 

"X 1  rE  left  Del  Coronado,  soon  after  ten  o'clock  this 
morning,  and  on  reaching  the  wharf,  at  San 
Diego,  a  carriage  was  awaiting  us,  to  take  us  about 
the  little  city,  and  to  the  Old  Mission.  After  view- 
ing the  business  streets,  banks,  hotels  and  churches, 
we  drove  among  the  residences  of  the  city,  and 
found  some  really  beautiful  homes.  In  1885,  the 
population  of  San  Diego  was  4,000;  to-day  it  is 
30,000.  It  is  a  pretty  little  city,  quite  foreign  in 
general  appearance,  but  its  chief  charm  is  its  ex- 
quisite land-locked  harbor,  which  reminds  one  forci- 
bly of  the  beautiful  Bay  of  Naples.  The  land,  near 
the  water's  edge,  rises  quite  suddenly  into  a  series 
of  foot-hills,  upon  which  the  City  is  built,  and  finally 
terminates  in  a  rolling  Mesa,  which  runs  for  miles 
back  into  the  country,  until  it  meets  the  Old  Mis- 
sion Valley. 

After  seeing  all  the  visible  charms  of  this  pictur- 
esquely plaoed  city,  we  decided  to  drive  to  the  Old 

171 


Mission,  a  sight  every  one  must  see,  as  it  is  one  of 
the  few  ruins  we  have  on  American  soil.  It  is  now 
a  lonely  pile  of  stones,  but  stands  in  a  glorious  po- 
sition, on  a  promontory,  commanding  a  magnificent 
view  in  every  direction.  This  tumble  down  cathed- 
ral was  once  the  centre  of  life  and  activity,  of  that 
portion  of  the  country,  and  was  the  scene  of  all  the 
glory  and  splendor,  that  the  people,  for  miles  about, 
ever  knew ;  and  the  old  Mexican  fathers  were  like 
emperors  or  kings,  in  their  little  domain,  but  ruled 
the  people  by  love,  rather  than  fear.  This  mission 
was  burned  down  in  1769,  but  rebuilt  in  1789.  The 
land,  for  miles,  about  this  old  ruin,  is  cultivated  and 
cared  for,  and  at  one  time  belonged  to  the  Church. 
Opposite  and  close  by,  was  the  finest  olive  orchard 
we  have  ever  seen. 

Standing  near  the  road,  where  our  carriage 
stopped,  was  a  queer  tree,  which  I  should  have 
called  a  willow,  if  I  had  been  asked.  After  James 
and  I  returned  from  our  climb,  among  the  tumbling 
walls  and  stones  of  the  Old  Mission,  our  driver  told 
us  of  this  remarkable  tree,  which  his  priest  had 
often  declared  to  him,  was  the  only  one  of  its  kind  in 
America.  It  is  said  to  be  a  cutting  of  the  tree, 
from  which  the  Crown  of  Thorns  was  made,  which 
was  placed  in  scorn  upon  our  Saviour's  head. 
James  and  I,  at  first,  naturally  doubted  such  an  as- 
sertion, for  it  seemed  preposterous  to  our  American 
minds,  that  such  a  thing  could  be  hidden  so  far  in 
the  wilderness  as  it  is,  away  from  all  eyes,  and  be 

172 


HB 

Wt       '^^lH^^^^^B 

ij 

really  what  it  pretended  to  be.  A  close  examina- 
tion, however,  brought  us  to  the  conclusion  that 
after  all,  we  had  never  seen  any  tree  like  it,  any 
where  in  all  our  wanderings.  We  sent  a  request  to 
the  people,  in  the  little  house  near,  on  whose  grounds 
this  remarkable  tree  grows,  for  a  small  branch  of  it, 
and  our  desire  being  granted,  we  were  able  to  ex- 
amine it  closely.  Delicate  slim  branches  this  tree 
had,  slender  and  pliable  and  easily  twisted  into 
shape,  and  its  little  lace-like  leaves  grew,  according 
to  the  mathematical  law  of  leaves  on  their  stems, 
but  covered  completely  the  most  marvelous  thorns, 
as  sharp  as  needles,  pointed  and  piercing,  and  ap- 
pearing at  every  angle,  and  so  staunch  and  strong 
were  they,  that  a  big  pull  was  necessary  to  tear  one 
from  its  position.  Stripping  the  leaves  from  their 
places,  and  twisting  the  branch  into  the  shape  of  a 
crown,  the  needle-like  thorns  stuck  out  in  every  di- 
rection, and  convinced  our  minds,  that,  if  not  a  cut- 
ting from  the  actual  tree,  from  which  Our  Lord's 
Crown  of  ignominy  was  made,  it  was  without  doubt 
the  same  species  of  growth,  new  to  our  eyes,  which 
was  used  by  the  soldiers  of  old,  in  those  days  of 
Our  Lord's  sorrow  and  anguish. 

Although  bountifully  covered  with  dust,  we 
drove  away  from  the  Old  Mission,  quite  satisfied 
and  pleased  that  we  had  visited  it,  and  next  turned 
our  attention  to  "  Old  Town,"  as  it  is  called,  or 
North  San  Diego.  We  had  several  miles  to  drive, 
through  fertile  and  well  kept  farm  lands. 

173 


Old  Town,  or  North  San  Diego,  we  found  to  be  a 
most  complete  wreck,  of  a  once  prosperous  village. 
The  low  Mexican  adobes  were  numerous,  but  al- 
though interesting  in  their  picturesque  decay,  the 
entire  place  impressed  one,  as  a  deserted  village,  a 
scene  of  activity  and  life  once  upon  a  time,  but 
dead  and  destroyed  now.  No  people  were  visible 
in  the  streets,  or  about  the  few  houses,  which 
seem  to  be  still  used  as  dwellings,  and  not  one  liv- 
ing being  did  we  see,  until  we  stopped  in  front  of  a 
long  low  adobe  building,  and  at  our  driver's  sugges- 
tion, knocked  at  the  door.  A  sweet,  lovely  young 
woman,  a  Roman  Catholic  Sister,  opened  the  door, 
and  asked  us  to  walk  in  ;  and  we  learned  that  we 
had  reached  one  of  the  most  prosperous  Indian 
schools,  in  the  South.  Over  one  hundred  Indian 
boys  and  girls  are  taught  here,  during  the  year,  but 
as  our  visit  came  in  their  vacation  time,  only  thirty 
were  left,  the  others  having  gone  to  their  homes,  for 
a  visit.  It  was  most  interesting  to  see  these  girls, 
averaging  in  age,  from  five  to  sixteen  years,  all  so 
bright,  quick  and  intelligent.  Sister  Octavia,  as  we 
afterwards  learned,  the  Lady  Superior  of  this  school, 
showed  us  the  sewing,  mending,  and  other  work  of 
these  girls,  who  are  trained  in  womanly  and  house- 
hold duties,  and  are  clever  indeed  in  all  branches. 

After  we  had  spoken  to  "  Cloudia,"  *'Juanita," 
"  Letitia,"  and  many  others,  the  Lady  Superior  took 
us  into  a  room  in  the  house,  where  an  altar  was 
standing,  which,  she  told  us,   was  the   room  where 

174 


Father  Gaspara  lived,  when  Ramona  and  Alessan- 
dro  came,  that  dark  night,  after  their  journey- 
through  that  wild  cafton,  and  told  their  sad  story  of 
their  love  and  misfortunes.  Mrs.  Helen  Hunt 
Jackson's  narrative  and  portrayal  of  the  sufferings 
of  these  peculiarly  interesting  people,  has  made 
Southern  California  familiar  to  many  minds,  and  no 
one  can  have  read  her  sweet  story  of  Indian  life, 
without  recalling  this  incident.  As  she  writes — '^  On 
the  opposite  side  of  the  way,  in  a  neglected,  weedy- 
open,  stood  his  little  chapel,  a  poverty-stricken  little 
place,  its  walls  imperfectly  white-washed,  decorated 
by  a  few  coarse  pictures,  etc."  To  this  little  one- 
room  abode,  the  outer  walls  now  covered  with 
boards,  our  mild-voiced  guide  led  us,  and  we  stood 
within  the  little  chapel,  where  Ramona  and  Ales- 
sandro  were  made  man  and  wife,  by  the  black- 
bearded  priest.  Father  Gaspara.  A  tiny  chapel  it  is, 
with  an  altar  at  one  end,  and  ten  pews  for  the  con- 
gregation, and  probably  there  was  plenty  of  room  to 
spare,  at  every  celebration  and  service. 

A  queer  little  place  it  is,  but  one  of  interest  to 
us,  for  it  has  been  a  haven  of  rest  to  many  a  weary 
wanderer,  besides  Ramona  and  Alessandro,  and  was 
also  where  Father  Junipero  Serra,  with  his  wonder- 
ful strength  of  character,  and  marvelous  endurance 
of  hardships  and  discouragements,  had  begun  his 
work,  so  many  years  ago. 

Sister  Octavia  sent  for  the  Indian  girls,  whom  we 
had  seen  in  the  school,  and  they  came  to  the  little 

175 


chapel  and  sang  some  of  their  Latin  chants.  It  was 
pathetic  to  us,  to  hear  these  fresh  young  voices  sing- 
ing their  Ave  Maria,  and  to  realize  how  short  a  time 
had  passed,  since  they  had  been  brought  from  their 
homes  in  the  wilderness,  and  taught  these  sacred 
things.  James  was  much  moved  by  this  singing, 
and  as  we  sat  in  that  tiny  chapel,  we  felt  as  if  years 
were  passing  in  review  before  us,  as  we  pictured  to 
ourselves  all  the  happy  hearts,  and  sad  as  well,  that 
had  stood  before  that  sacred  altar,  and  received  the 
blessing  of  their  priest.  After  seeing  the  priestly 
vestments,  James  asked  the  privilege  of  photograph- 
ing that  little  gathering ;  and  standing  beneath  the 
"Old  Bells  of  1802,"  which  are  at  one  end  of  the 
little  chapel,  James  photographed  the  Lady  Supe- 
rior, and  thirty  Indian  girls. 

As  we  drove  away  from  the  little  group,  the  chil- 
dren waved  us  a  good-bye,  and  my  noble,  thoughtful 
husband  exclaimed,  "  What  a  beautiful  work  that  is. 
May,  to  rescue  those  girls  from  their  wandering  life 
on  the  plains,  and  teach  them  to  be  noble  women  in 
the  world.  No  wonder  Sister  Octavia's  face  ex- 
pressed such  calm  and  peace,  that  must  come  into 
the  heart,  and  face  as  well,  when  one  gives  their  life 
to  such  a  grand  work." 

TUESDAY,  JULY  7TH. 

A  T  six  o'clock  we  had  breakfast,  and  at  half  past 

six,  we  started  on  our  trip,  from  Del  Coronado 

and  San  Diego,  back  to  Los  Angeles.     It  was  as 

176 


pleasant  a  journey  as  possible,  but  it  was  very  warm, 
and  made  us  apprehensive  about  our  afternoon. 
Before  we  left  Los  Angeles,  we  arranged  to  have  a 
carriage  meet  us  at  the  depot,  on  our  arrival  to-day, 
to  take  us  immediately  into  the  beautiful  country, 
surrounding  the  city.  On  reaching  Los  Angeles, 
"the  chariot "  awaited  us,  and  sending  our  small 
baggage  to  the  Westminster  Hotel,  we  started  at 
once  into  the  San  Gabriel  Valley ;  and  what  a  scene 
of  beauty  it  was !  For  miles  and  miles,  we  drove 
through  beautiful  orange  groves,  the  deep  heavy 
foliage  of  the  short  stubby  trees,  making  a  fine  con- 
trast to  the  golden  fruit,  still  hanging  in  some  groves. 
An  orange  grove  in  blossom,  has  the  most  powerful 
perfume  ever  known,  which  pervades  and  fills  the  air, 
until  everything  seems  saturated  with  the  odor,  as 
if  the  entire  country  was  decorated  for  a  marriage 
feast.  It  must  be  a  veritable  paradise  in  this  valley, 
in  the  winter  season,  when  the  woods  and  meadows 
are  carpeted  with  every  variety  of  blossom,  every 
tint  and  hue  mingling  and  blending  in  harmony  and 
exquisite  beauty,  and  all  watched  over  by  the 
serious,  solemn  Sierra  Madre  Mountains,  with  their 
snow-clad  peaks  and  yawning  cafions.  No  wonder 
invalids,  by  the  hundreds,  fly  to  the  protecting  arms, 
and  mild  climate,  of  the  San  Gabriel  Valley  in  winter, 
for  surely  no  more  beautiful  place  on  earth  is  to  be 
found,  this  side  of  the  tropics.  Great  avenues  of 
banana  trees,  palm  and  date  trees,  fig  and  plum  and 
apricot  trees,  the  Eucalyptus,  in  their  slim  stately 

177 


style — in  fact,  the  San  Gabriel  Valley,  of  ten  miles 
wide,  by  thirty  miles  long,  is  one  series  of  beautiful 
and  wonderful  drives,  through  orange  groves,  vine- 
yards, wonderful  cactus  growths,  avenues  of  feathery 
pepper  trees, — and  such  hedges  !  Pomegranate  hedges 
in  rare  beauty,  with  the  blossoms  en  masse  in  the 
richest  of  color,  which  the  Southern  sunshine  seems 
to  have  kissed  and  glorified,  with  a  new  radiance. 
The  fatigue  of  our  early  start  and  journey,  was  for- 
gotten, in  the  midst  of  this  entrancing  restful  beauty^ 
and  the  first  part  of  our  drive  brought  us,  about  two 
o'clock,  to  the  lovely  hotel  San  Gabriel,  where  we 
had  an  excellent  luncheon.  We  had  seen,  in  our 
drive,  the  oldest  grapevine  in  Southern  California,  a 
mammoth  tree  and  stem,  as  large  as  some  of  the 
trunks  of  our  chestnut  trees,  at  home. 

It  was  also  our  good  fortune,  to  see  the  famous 
San  Gabriel  Mission,  which  was  founded  in  1771, 
but  placed  in  its  present  position  in  1775.  Some  of 
the  bells  still  hang  in  the  old  belfry,  and  were  most 
picturesque,  and  we  admired  them,  but  they  were 
deaf  to  the  piteous  plea  "  Ring  out  wild  bells." 

After  luncheon,  we  drove  to  the  famous  Raymond 
Hotel,  at  Raymond,  and  such  a  magnificent  hotel  it 
is,  with  such  walks  and  drives  about  it,  such  glorious 
shrubs  and  plants,  that  the  entire  place  was  fascin- 
ating to  us,  until  we  turned  and  saw  the  view ;  that 
beggars  description !  In  the  soft  mellow  light  of 
that  southern  climate,  and  the  approaching  twilight 
hour,  it  was  a  dream  of   such  wonder,  a  vision  of 

178 


radiant  and  perfect  proportions,  that,  as  we  feasted 
our  eyes  on  all  before  us,  a  calm  and  restful  peace 
stole  over  us,  and  we  seemed  in  paradise  at  last.  In 
the  distance,  the  Sierra  Madre  mountains  were  vio- 
let in  color,  then  the  orange  trees,  in  their  regular 
stately  rows,  with  now  and  then  a  tall  palm,  or  date, 
or  eucalyptus  tree,  so  clearly  outlined  against  the 
mountains  and  sky,  and  then,  perhaps,  a  fine  villa, 
with  its  shrubs  and  plants  and  rose  bushes,  until  the 
scene  before  us  was  too  beautiful  to  describe,  and 
can  only  be  remembered  as  a  complete  and  perfect 
whole. 

Pasadena,  with  its  entrancing  beauty,  attracted 
James  more  than  any  city  we  have  seen,  in  all  our 
travelling,  and  a  dozen  times,  he  exclaimed,  "  A  little 
home  here  would  just  suit  me,  May ;  it  would  seem 
as  if  we  had  gone  to  Heaven,  in  reality."  Pasadena 
is  a  paradise  on  earth  ;  a  new  joy  was  in  the  sun- 
shine, a  new  life  seemed  to  touch  and  beautify  the 
flowers,  and  all  smiled  with  a  radiance  and  beauty 
most  contagious.  We  felt  it  even  in  our  drive 
through  the  streets ;  we  saw  it  in  the  open  and  at- 
tractive homes,  and  we  drove  about,  for  a  long  time, 
and  did  not  wonder  that  people  chose  this  beauty 
spot  for  a  home.  Oranges  grew  on  the  trees,  right 
along  the  streets,  and  when  we  exclaimed  that  we  had 
never  picked  an  orange  off  a  tree,  our  driver  drove 
up  to  a  well-laden  tree,  in  front  of  a  fine  villa,  and 
began  to  take  all  the  oranges  within  reach.  James 
and  I  were  horrified,  and  forbade  any  further  pillage, 

179 


but  when  we  were  well  on  our  way  toward  Los 
Angeles,  the  golden  fruit  in  the  bottom  of  the  car- 
riage "  tempted  me,  and  I  did  eat."  Never  has  an 
orange  tasted  like  that  orange,  perhaps,  because 
"  stolen  sweets  are  best  " ;  but  my  gratification  soon 
tempted  James  to  join  me,  and  our  only  regret  was 
that  we  had  not  allowed  our  driver  to  take  more. 

We  reached  the  Westminster  Hotel  about  eight 
o'clock,  had  dinner  and  retired,  well  satisfied  with 
our  day  in  the  beautiful  San  Gabriel  Valley. 

WEDNESDAY,   JULY  8TH. 

Al /"E  left  Los  Angeles  to-day,  at  noon,  and  with 
some  regret,  for  the  city  is  really  beautiful, 
and  James  and  I  felt  we  could  spend  several  weeks 
here  very  pleasantly,  if  we  could  spare  the  time. 

Our  trip  to-day  was  quiet  and  uneventful,  and 
pleasant,  as  we  passed  through  the  monotonous 
Mojave  Desert,  during  the  night.  We  have  become 
so  used  to  sleeping  cars  and  travelling  now,  that  we 
are  quite  contented,  when  en  route,  and  really  enjoy 
moving  along  and  seeing  our  great  and  glorious 
country ;  and  we  are  proud  that  we  are  Americans. 


x8o 


NORTHWARD  OVER  THE  SIERRA 
NEVADAS 


THURSDAY,   JULY  QTH. 

ATLTE  reached  San  Francisco  at  noon  to-day,  and 
found  it  very  warm,  but  quite  like  home,  or 
perhaps  I  should  say,  more  like  home,  than  any  place 
in  this  far  away  country.  California  impresses  us  in 
every  way.  It  is  a  wonderfully  beautiful  State, 
magnificent  in  every  respect,  and  is  so  large.  We 
have  travelled  in  California,  nearly  2,000  miles,  and 
we  have  yet  nearly  500  miles  to  cover,  going  north 
to  Portland.  The  distance  from  San  Francisco  to 
San  Diego  is  608  miles;  but  when  James  and  I  first 
planned  to  go  there,  we  thought  the  journey  would 
be  about  equal  to  a  trip,  from  New  York  to  Utica. 
We  blushed,  when  we  learned  how  ignorant  we  were. 
Coming  over-land,  we  travelled  over  3,000  miles,  equal 
to  a  trip  to  Europe. 

We  were  much  amused  at  the  News  Agent,  on  the 
train,  who  electrified  us,  by  singing  out,  as  he  saun- 
tered through  the  car,  "  Travelling  caps,  and  Neu- 
ralgia combs! 

181 


SATURDAY,  JULY   IITH. 

Wl  E  were  sleepy  this  morning,  and,  as  usual,  had  a 
late  breakfast.  We  had  planned  to  go,  at 
half-past  ten  o'clock,  with  F.  J.  to  Chinatown,  to  buy 
his  wife  a  gift ;  but  I  was  delayed  in  going  to  my 
room  this  morning,  by  meeting  friends  from  Salt 
Lake  City,  and  later  by  meeting  Miss  Thursby  and 
sister,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  B.,  of  Brooklyn,  in  the  cor- 
ridor. About  eleven  o'clock,  however,  we  started 
(James,  Mr.  D.,  F.  J.  and  I)  for  Chinatown.  We 
stopped  at  Liebes'  celebrated  fur  store,  to  see  the 
beautiful  furs,  from  this  part  of  the  world,  and 
Alaska,  etc.  Mr.  H.  (a  friend  of  F.'s)  was  very  kind, 
showed  us  very  choice  skins,  took  us  to  the  cellar,  to 
examine  rare  furs,  see  the  process  of  curing  and 
treating ;  in  fact,  we  had  a  regular  lecture  on  the  sub- 
ject, and  acquired  much  information.  Then  ho  ! 
for  Chinatown. 

Of  course  we  visited  Fong  Sang  Lung,  Kim  Woo, 
Hon  Wing,  Sing  Fat,  and  many  others ;  and  Mr.  J. 
was  as  much  interested  in  his  visit,  as  when  he  went 
there  first,  many  years  ago.  We  spent  several  hours, 
in  wandering  about,  and  picking  up  a  few  odd  trifles ; 
then  happening  to  be  near  a  Chinese  restaurant,  we 
walked  in.  To  follow  the  old  adage,  "  While  in 
Rome,  do  as  the  Romans  do,"  while  we  were  in 
Chinatown,  we  did  as  the  Chinamen  do, — we  took 
seats  at  a  big  round  table  and  ordered  tea.  It  was 
a  beautiful  restaurant — the  ceiling  and  side  walls 

xSa 


were  covered  with  Chinese  hieroglyphics  in  gold, 
gold  scrolls  hung  on  the  walls,  the  partition  between 
two  divisions  in  the  room  was  of  carved  wood,  very 
artistically  and  beautifully  carved,  then  covered  with 
gilding,  and  in  every  little  window  space  was  stained 
glass.  The  furniture  was  ebony,  inlaid  with  pearl, 
beautiful  chairs  and  tables.  The  restaurant  was  up 
two  flights  of  stairs,  and  had  balconies,  with  flower- 
pots all  along  the  edge,  full  of  Chinese  plants,  dwarf 
oaks,  etc.  It  was  an  unusual  place.  The  tea  was 
good — but  the  variety  of  sweetmeats  they  brought 
us,  the  sugar-coated  cake,  with  pink  Chinese  hiero- 
glyphics on  it — the  nuts,  preserved  citron,  cherries, 
etc.,  were  too  much  for  me,  so  I  ate  a  nut  or  two, 
drank  my  tea,  and  spent  the  rest  of  the  time  taking 
a  mental  inventory.  We  finally  wandered  back  to 
the  civilized  stores,  did  a  few  necessary  errands,  for 
our  Alaska  welfare,  then  we  came  to  the  hotel,  and 
I  wrote  a  letter  home.  I  found  some  lovely  roses 
waiting  for  me,  from  Miss  T.  We  had  dinner  at  a 
quarter  past  seven,  F.  and  Mr.  D.  dining  with  us, 
and  after  dinner,  we  went  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  V.  G. 
to  Chinatown,  to  see  the  theatre  and  play,  as  we 
could  not  see  it  when  we  were  here  before.  Every- 
body said  it  was  a  thing  not  to  be  omitted,  a  sight 
well  worth  a  trip  to  enjoy.  We  found  the  guide 
awaiting  us  at  Kim  Lung's,  and  through  the  dirty 
alleys,  we  picked  our  way  to  the  back,  and  stage 
entrance  of  the  Jackson  Street  Theatre.  Crowds 
of  Chinamen  surrounded  us,  before,  behind,  on  our 

183 


right  hand  and  on  our  left,  for  the  theatre  is  their 
one  recreation  and  amusement,  and  this  was  the 
only  one  open.  Chinatown  accommodates  more 
Chinamen,  than  any  known  space,  of  equal  propor- 
tions, in  America. 

After  threading  our  way,  in  the  underground  pas- 
sages, up  the  narrowest,  steepest  staircase,  so  narrow, 
everybody  wiped  down  each  wall,  as  he  crept  along, 
we  emerged  into  the  "  Green  Room  "  of  the  actors, 
a  place  about  the  size  of  our  laundry  at  Sunny  Slope, 
crowded  and  jammed  with  actors  in  their  costumes, 
densely  thick  with  smoke, — and  such  awful  smoke 
too !  Finally  our  guide  waved  everybody  aside,  and 
the  crowd  of  celestials  moved  a  tiny  bit,  for  us  to 
press  our  way  through,  and  the  first  thing  I  knew, 
we  came  suddenly  right  out  on  the  stage.  We  would 
have  stepped  back, — our  natural  modesty,  of  course, 
suggesting  such  a  thing, — but  no,  we  were  not 
allowed  to  escape.  A  table  was  on  the  middle  of 
the  stage,  two  chairs  by  it — one  on  each  side — and 
beside  it  stood  two  actors,  going  along  in  their 
queer  performance,  oblivious  of  all  else.  Into  one  of 
these  chairs,  on  the  middle  of  the  stage,  they  tried 
to  put  me.  No  indeed — I  had  come  to  see,  and  not 
to  be  seen  ;  so  I  pushed  my  way  back,  against  a  solid 
wall  of  Chinamen.  Visitors  are  all  seated  on  the 
stage,  and  usually  have  comfortable  quarters.  To- 
night, however,  the  theatre  was  so  crowded,  the  sides 
of  the  stage  were  arranged  in  tiers,  for  the  China- 
men, and  in  front  on  each  side,  in  a  semi-circle,  we 

184 


finally  were  all  placed.  Across  from  us,  sat  the  Rev. 
Mr.,  Mrs.  and  Miss  B.,  all  as  engrossed  and  amused  as 
we  were. 

The  theatre  was  jammed,  from  the  floor  to  the 
ceiling,  not  one  place,  in  aisle  or  anywhere,  that  was 
not  occupied.  The  men  never  sit  with  the  women — 
the  women  are  in  two  balconies,  on  one  side  of  the 
house,  unescorted — and  such  a  medley !  Some  were 
quite  aristocratic  looking,  highly-born,  perhaps  ; 
others  had  huge,  coarse  features,  but  all  were  in- 
tensely interested  in  the  performance.  Not  an  eye 
wandered ;  no  one  thought  of  anything  but  that 
drama  on  the  stage,  and  in  some  parts  the  women 
wept  copiously,  then  hung  their  handkerchiefs  over 
the  railing  to  dry.  Below,  and  in  two  other  balcon- 
ies, were  the  men,  so  closely  packed,  so  densely 
crowded,  and  all  smoking,  and  eating  fruit — such  an 
odor!  As  James  said,  he  was  as  much  interested 
in  watching  the  audience,  as  he  was  the  actors. 
When  anything  seemed  pathetic,  they  were  as  solemn 
as  judges ;  when  anything  amused  them,  they  set  up 
a  Chinese  howl,  a  genuine  roof-raiser!  But  the 
stage,  and  the  play  ! 

When  we  entered,  two  women  (men  dressed  as 
women),  were  performing.  It  seems,  one  woman  was 
a  widow,  had  lost  her  baby  (we  were  too  late  to  see 
the  Chinese  mother  bring  in  a  rag-baby  and  wash  its 
face),  and  the  other  woman  wanted  her  to  marry 
again,  which  she  refused  to  do.  The  older  woman 
took  a  long  broom-like  whip,  and  whipped  the  widow, 

i8s 


to  the  great  grief  of  said  widow,  and  delight  of  the 
house.  Whenever  any  great  emotion  was  being 
portrayed,  a  band — behind  the  table — accompanied 
the  emotion,  with  appropriate  selections ;  but  if  one 
hundred  Scottish  bagpipes  had  been  let  loose  upon 
the  audience  that  night,  it  would  have  been  ten 
degrees  below  the^volume  and  quality  of  sound  sent 
forth.  It  seemed  as  if  our  ears  would  never  be  re- 
stored to  normal  condition  again.  The  play  con- 
tinued ;  the  widow's  mother  and  father  received  her 
back  to  their  home,  in  rather  an  unpleasant  manner, 
and  the  father  and  mother  had  such  a  war  of  words 
about  it,  that  the  father  killed  the  mother,  that  is 
he  made  a  rush  at  her,  stepped  hard  on  her  toe,  and 
like  a  log  of  wood,  she  fell  to  the  floor.  A  man 
stood  near  us,  who  went,  as  soon  as  the  mother  fell, 
and  stuck  a  straight  long  thing  under  her  head,  like 
2, pillar y  but  it  was  a  pillow.  She  straightened  out, 
then  picked  herself  up  and  went  away. 

A  Chinese  play  often  lasts  for  months,  and  is 
carried  along  like  a  story.  They  have  no  scenery 
whatever,  only  represent  what  they  desire  with  ar- 
ticles. Their  voices  are  shrill  and  piercing,  and  their 
acting  is  automatic,  wooden,  as  if  they  were  on 
wheels,  and  were  worked  by  strings,  from  beneath 
the  stage.  I  never  have  seen  such  "pirouetting," 
such  absolutely  ridiculous  performances!  They 
seem  a  thousand  years  behind  the  times ;  and  yet 
this  is  their  choice,  their  recreation  and  amusement, 
and  they  are   perfectly   satisfied.     We    were   there 

186 


half  an  hour,  and  would  not  have  left  then,  if  the 
ponderous  perfumes  had  not  overcome  us.  It  was 
most  interesting,  so  serious  and  solemn,  the  specta- 
tors so  intent  upon  the  actors ;  and  the  actors  were 
artists  in  stiffness  and  absolute  awkwardness.  Del- 
sarte  never  could  teach  these  celestials  the  poetry 
of  motion.  They  move  in  angles ;  nothing  beyond 
a  straight  line  touches  their  sense  of  beauty, — even 
their  faces  betoken  angularity. 

We  were  worn  out  and  weary,  on  our  return,  but 
well  paid,  by  our  visit  to  the  theatre,  in  China- 
town. 

MONDAY,  JULY   I3TH. 

\^  E  left  San  Francisco  last  night,  at  nine  o'clock. 
We  found  our  days  were  gliding  swiftly 
by,  and  we  had  need  of  haste,  as  we  must  reach 
Tacoma,  and  go  on  board  the  steamer,  for  Alaska, 
on  Thursday  night. 

The  Mt.  Shasta  Route,  to  Portland,  had  been  much 
praised,  by  travellers  we  chanced  to  meet,  and  pro- 
nounced grand  and  magnificent,  and  we  naturally 
anticipated  it ;  but  we  were  little  prepared  for  the 
beauty,  which  has  greeted  our  eyes,  all  the  way  to- 
day. From  San  Francisco  to  Sacramento,  we  passed 
in  the  night,  but  having  been  through  that  country 
before,  we  lost  nothing.  After  leaving  Sacramento, 
in  the  early  morning  hours,  our  road  followed  close- 
ly the  banks  of  the  Sacramento  River,  which  ran 
through  a  most  beautiful  and  fertile  valley.     After 

187 


Redding  was  reached,  and  breakfast  over,  our  feast 
of  delight  really  began,  as  we  climbed  among  the 
mighty  mountains  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  range. 
Slowly,  and  with  difficulty,  as  the  grade  is  severe, 
we  crept  around  curves  and  sharp  cuts  in  the 
rocks,  passed  over  bridges  and  trestles,  through  a 
dozen  or  more  tunnels,  and  in  a  short  distance  of 
eighty  miles,  we  crossed  the  tortuous  course  of  the 
Sacramento  River,  eighteen  times.  From  a  beauti- 
ful broad  band  of  blue  water,  at  the  city, — bearing  its 
name,  with  so  much  life  and  energy  manifested 
on  its  surface,  as  if  it  had  come  a  long  way  to  do  a 
great  work, — we  followed  the  Sacramento  River,  up 
to  its  source  in  the  mountains ;  and  it  diminished  in 
volume  and  brightness,  to  a  ribbon  of  grayish  color, 
and  twisted,  and  tumbled,  and  turned,  as  if  its  narrow 
boundaries  were  irksome,  to  the  energy  beneath  its 
waters.  Its  river-bed  lay  between  banks  of  such 
forbidding  nature,  as  if  a  great  river  of  lava,  from 
Mt.  Shasta's  depths,  had  poured  down  that  gorge  in 
the  mountain,  and  hardened,  and  finally,  in  a  fit  of 
rage  and  despair,  had  split  and  divided  into  two  lava 
banks,  between  which  the  river  ran,  on  its  way  to  the 
sea. 

Our  first  point  of  interest  was  at  the  Soda 
Springs,  now  becoming  so  well  known,  for  their  fine 
mineral  qualities ;  and  in  a  little  flock,  all  the  passen- 
gers on  the  train,  hurried  to  the  rustic  enclosure 
over  the  Spring,  to  refresh  themselves  with  one 
"life-giving   draught."      Beautiful  little  streams  of 

i88 


water  constantly  coursed  down  the  steep,  rocky 
sides  and  cafions,  as  we  flew  along ;  but  a  perfect 
vision  of  loveliness  was  ours,  when  we  stopped  op- 
posite Mossbrae  Falls,  as  lovely  as  anything  of  the 
kind  we  have  seen,  outside  the  Yosemite.  Splash- 
ing suddenly  and  playfully  out,  into  the  sunshine,  as 
if  it  had  just  escaped,  for  the  first  time,  from  the 
icy  grasp  of  one  of  Mt.  Shasta's  greatest  glaciers, 
these  **  laughing  waters  "  spring,  from  a  bed  of  ex- 
quisite ferns  and  mosses,  which'wave  and  tremble, 
under  the  pressure  and  spray  of  the  cascade,  as  if  a 
new  and  welcome  guest  had  just  come  to  them,  and 
had  not  been  their  companion,  for  many  years.  A 
luxuriant  growth  of  these  ferns,  and  mosses,  and 
grasses,  have  flourished  so  marvelously  under  this 
constant  shower  of  icy  water,  that  the  usual  barren 
rocks  are  nowhere  visible,  and  are  picturesquely 
covered  by  this  dainty  fertility.  Perhaps  Robert 
Southey  had  seen  just  such  a  sparkling  stream, 

"  Rising  and  leaping, 
Sinking  and  creeping, 
Swelling  and  sweeping. 
Showering  and  springing." 

when  he  wrote  "  How  does  the  water  come  down  at 
Lodore !" 

The  Castle  Rocks  attracted  us  next,  with  their 
solid  walls  of  granite,  rising  4,000  feet  above 
the  valley;  and  with  their  columns  and  minarets, 
they  presented  a  scene  of  marvelous  beauty ;  but 

189 


every  once  in  a  while,  through  the  great  pine 
trees,  so  colossal  and  magnificent  in  their  forest 
fortresses,  we  caught  such  dazzling  glimpses  of 
shimmering  beauty,  that  we  were  breathless  in  an- 
ticipation, and  powerless  in  awe  and  reverence, 
when  finally,  Mt.  Shasta,  in  its  whiteness,  rose  before 
us,  **  its  great  white  dome  of  incandescent  snow  and 
lava  crags"  so  impressive,  as  it  stood  outlined 
against  the  silent  blue  heavens.  Mt.  Shasta  is 
called,  the  key  of  California  scenery,  because  the 
Sierra  Nevada  Mountains,  bounding  the  eastern 
portion  of  the  State,  and  the  Coast  Range,  bounding 
the  western  meet  at  Mt.  Shasta,  "  making  a  moun- 
tain arch,  of  which  the  Great  White  Butte  is  the 
keystone. ' 

Words  fail  to  give  expression  to  our  impressions, 
of  the  solemn  repose,  and  stately  grandeur,  of  this 
mountain  giant.  The  snow-filled  crater,  of  this  once 
fiery  mountain,  and  the  lava  gorges,  now  the  bed  of 
numerous  glaciers,  shone  like  silver  in  their  silent 
beauty,  and  made  the  great  peaks  surrounding  it, 
so  black,  and  bare,  and  desolate,  stand  forth  in  won- 
drous contrast.  But  how  small  all  those  grand 
mountains  seem,  how  insignificant,  as  Mt.  Shasta 
raises  its  cloud-crowned  cliffs,  two  vertical  miles 
above  the  surrounding  country ! 

Right  in  front  of  this  ice  fortress,  twelve  miles 
from  its  base,  which,  in  the  clear  air,  seemed  a  dis- 
tance of  only  a  mile,  at  the  little  village  of  Sissons, 
we  stopped,  and  had  time  to  enjoy  this  grandeur ; 


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f 

and  as  we  rolled  away  from  the  place,  the  five  vol- 
canic cones  of  Muir's  Peak,  added  to  the  charm  of 
view.  We  passed  through  Strawberry  Valley,  and 
Shasta  Valley,  and  soon  crossed  the  state  line,  be- 
tween California  and  Oregon,  and  began  to  climb 
the  Siskiyou  Mountains,  which  form  a  natural  line, 
between  the  two  states.  This  ascent  is  a  wonder  of 
engineering  skill,  and  although  the  Royal  Gorge, 
and  MarshalFs  Pass,  in  Colorado,  had  charmed  us, 
here  we  were  dumb  in  wonder  and  amazement! 
Such  marvelous  skill  in  building  a  railroad,  where  it 
seemed  only  the  fleetest-footed  animals  could  hope 
to  climb — such  twistings  and  turnings,  tunnels  bor- 
ing into  the  very  hearts  of  the  forests,  disturbing 
roots  of  those  stately  and  venerable  pines,  and  car- 
rying us  higher  and  higher,  into  the  mountains. 
Such  views  as  were  ours!  James*  exclamations 
were  constant,  and  he  seemed  as  deeply  impressed 
as  I  was.  The  scenery  was  indescribably  magnifi- 
cent, for  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  the  great 
snow-monarchs  soared  up  into  the  heavens,  and  we 
seemed  encircled  in  their  icy  embrace.  Extending 
north,  for  hundreds  of  miles,  stood  the  Cascade 
Range ;  to  the  west,  we  could  see  the  Siskiyou  and 
Coast  Mountains ;  sparkling  lakes,  fertile  valleys  in 
all  their  loveliness,  rivers,  and  splashing  springs, 
deep  solemn  gorges  were  before  us,  awful  caftons  on 
every  side,  forests  of  pine  and  oak,  and  a  more  won- 
derful, ever-changing  panorama,  of  magnificent 
grandeur  and  variety,  cannot  be  imagined. 

191 


"  speech  was  given  to  man,  to  conceal  his 
thoughts,"  seems  true  indeed  to  me,  as  I  strive  to 
express  the  impressions,  made  upon  our  minds  this 
day.  It  is  a  hopeless  task,  to  attempt  to  portray 
such  inspiring  and  up-lifting  emotions,  which  bring 
one  into  harmony  with  the  best  and  most  beautiful, 
in  God's  world  of  wonder;  and  it  seems  to  me, 
sometimes,  that  in  just  such  experiences  as  these, 
we  are  given  a  little  suggestion  of  that  higher  and 
better  life ;  as  if  the  veil,  which  separates  our  mortal 
life  from  the  immortal,  was  for  a  moment  parted, 
and  a  single  God-given  emotion  sent — to  fill  our 
souls  with  a  rapture  before  unknown  ;  and  we  have 
a  foretaste  of  that  glorious  hereafter, — a  glimpse  of 
that  Better  Land,  toward  which  we  are  all  hastening. 

TUESDAY,  JULY    14TH. 

A  RRIVING  at  Portland,  at  half-past  nine  this 
morning,  James  hastened  to  **  The  Portland  '* 
(which  is  a  very  fine  Hotel),  as  I  was  feeling  quite 
sick,  from  our  incessant  travelling  of  late.  A  good 
day's  rest  restored  me,  however.  While  I  stayed 
quietly  in  my  room,  James  spent  this  exceedingly 
warm  day,  in  hunting  for  a  winter  ulster,  for  the 
Alaska  trip. 

We  met  such  charming  people  on  the  train, — 
Lord  and  Lady  F.  from  London, — and  their  friends 
and  travelling  companions  were  equally  delightful. 
They  had  just  landed  from  a  trip  through  Japan. 
James  was  much  amused  this  morning,  when  the 
^  192 


waiter  brought  **  Mi-Lord  "  an  egg,  opened  in  a 
glass,  as  we  often  eat  them.  With  a  disgusted 
expression,  and  a  genuine  drawl,  he  ordered  it  from 
the  table,  and  turning  to  James,  he  exclaimed, — 
"  I  haven't  got  used  to  eating  eggs,  a/l  messed  up, 
— you  know." 

WEDNESDAY,    JULY     15TH. 

A  LTHOUGH  we  had  seen  nothing  of  this  gj-eat 

City  of  the  West,  we  were  obliged  to  hurry 

northward   to-day,  and  took  the  11.45  A.M.  train 

for  Tacoma,  promising  ourselves   another  visit,  on 

our  return  from  Alaska. 

Our  trip  of  144  miles,  was  one  of  exceeding 
interest,  although  so  different  from  our  recent 
journey.  We  followed  the  shores  of  the 
Willamette  River,  crossed  the  Columbia  and 
passed  through  most  beautiful  forests,  with 
such  giant  trees, — so  straight  and  grand,  one  was 
constantly  reminded  of  the  days  in  the  Yosemite, 
with  the  great  pines  there, — not  the  Mariposa 
Grove  of  monarchs,  to  be  sure,  but  stately  enough 
to  challenge  our  praise. 

We  had  with  us,  all  the  way,  the  snow  mountains 
of  the  Cascade  Range, — Mt.  Hood,  which  keeps 
constant  guard  over  the  city  we  had  just  left,  Mt.  St. 
Helens  on  one  shore  of  the  Columbia  River,  Mt. 
Adams,  Mt.  Jefferson ;  and  as  we  approached  Ta- 
coma, Mt.  Ranier  stood  forth,  in  the  glorious  rose  of 
the  twilight,  to  welcome  us. 

193 


There  is  a  mythological  legend,  that  long  ago, 
in  the  prehistoric  ages,  Mt.  St.  Helens,  and  Mt. 
Hood,  were  firm  friends,  and  stood  side  by  side,  in 
their  glory  and  pride,  presided  over  by  certain  gods. 
A  serious  quarrel  occurred,  between  the  gods  of 
these  two  mountains,  which  set  the  whole  mountain 
range  in  such  a  furious  frenzy,  upset  so  many  tem- 
pers, turned  calm  and  contented  peaks  and  cones 
into  fiery  fiends,  and  caused  such  grave  and  terrible 
damage  to  the  country  about,  that  Mt.  Hood,  and 
Mt.  St.  Helens,  were  irrevocably  doomed  to  be 
separated  forever,  and  in  heaviness  of  heart  and 
with  tremendous  lamentations,  and  an  upheaval  of 
sighs  and  groans,  these  mountain  companions  were 
torn  asunder,  and  the  Columbia  River  decreed,  to 
run  forever  between. 

We  reached  Tacoma,  about  half  past  six  o'clock, 
and  went  to  *'The  Tacoma,"  a  large  hotel  overlook- 
ing Puget  Sound,  and  in  full  view  of  Mt.  Ranier, 
or,  as  the  people  here  prefer  to  call  it,  "  Mt.  Ta- 
coma." 

THURSDAY,  JULY  i6tH. 

A  BUSY  day,  preparing  for  our  trip  to  Alaska. 
We  went,  in  the  afternoon,  to  view  our  abid- 
ing place  for  the  next  three  weeks,  and  we  found 
the  Mexico  a  larger  steamer  than  we  imagined, 
comfortably  appointed ;  and  we  are  quite  ready  to 
start  on  a  trip,  which  offers  such  unusual  attractions. 
A  friend,  whom  we  met  in  San   Francisco,  had  just 

194 


returned  from  this  trip,  on  the  same  steamer  we  are 
to  take,  and  her  answer  to  our  question  as  to 
whether  she  enjoyed  it,  would  have  been  decidedly- 
depressing,  if  we  had  not  already  brought  our  courage 
to  the  sticking  point,  and  were  little  daunted  when 
she  exclaimed,  '*  Oh,  its  pretty  good,  that  is,  if 
you  like  a  good  dose  of  scenery !  " 

About  ten  o'clock  to-night,  with  as  little  baggage 
as  we  could  arrange  to  take  with  us,  we  embarked  on 
the  "  Pacific  Coast  Steamship  Mexico,''  and  as  it 
was  a  superb  moonlight  night,  we  remained  out  on 
deck,  met  the  officers  of  the  ship,  and  learned  a 
little  of  the  trip  we  were  just  starting  upon.  The 
Queen  is  the  regular  excursion  boat  to  Alaska,  but 
the  Mexico  and  Topeka  are  mail  and  freight  boats, 
and  go  to  the  little,  as  well  as  the  big,  Alaskan  ports, 
and  to  many  of  the  out-of-the-way  places.  We  are 
content  with  our  lot  thus  far,  and  are  anticipating 
much  pleasure. 

About  half  past  eleven  o'clock,  I  went  to  our 
cabin  (the  palatial  proportions  of  which  are  eight 
feet  long,  by  six  feet  wide),  and  began  to  arrange 
our  things  for  comfort  and  convenience,  when  a 
deep-toned  voice  at  my  window  sang  out  solemnly : 
''Lights  ordered  out  at  ten."  I  felt  as  if  I  had 
jumped  back  to  my  boarding-school  days,  and  was 
subject  to  "  rule  and  rod  "  once  more,  and  the  hours 
and  regulations,  which  were  all  so  quietly  maintained 
at  dear  old  Farmington. 


195 


ALASKA 


FRIDAY,  JULY   17TH. 

A  LTHOUGH  we  knew  the  Mexico  was  to  leave 
'^  her  wharf,  at  four  o'clock  this  morning,  we 
were  oblivious  of  the  fact,  until  we  were  fast  to  the 
wharf  at  Seattle,  our  first  stopping  place.  After  a 
couple  of  hours  there,  we  started  again,  and  in  a  few 
hours  more,  reached  Port  Townsend,  a  little  place  of 
considerable  shipping  importance,  but  of  no  interest 
otherwise.  We  found  this  stop  a  bit  tedious,  and 
longed  to  be  off,  for  new  and  interesting  sights  and 
scenes,  but  we  wandered  about  the  town,  and  finally 
contented  ourselves  on  board  our  ship,  chatting, 
reading  and  writing.  The  Olympic  Mountains  made 
a  beautiful  picture,  and  background  for  this  little  city, 
and  Mt.  Baker  was  regal,  in  its  northern  position 
and  unrivaled  splendor,  as  it  stood  alone  in  silent 
beauty. 

SATURDAY,  JULY   i8TH. 

A  LOVELY  day,  a  few  showers  at  mid-day,  but 
"^  not  enough  to  do  any  harm.  We  were  tied 
up  to  the  dock  at  Victoria,  British  Columbia,  before 

196 


Jamie  and  I  were  up  this  morning.  We  left  Port 
Townsend  at  four  and  reached  Victoria  at  six. 
After  breakfast,  Jamie  and  I  jumped  into  a  carriage 
and  drove  up  into  the  town,  about  three-quarters  of 
a  mile,  and  bought  two  steamer  rugs,  which  we 
found  we  needed.  We  then  drove  about  Vic- 
toria, and  found  it  a  very  English  looking  town, 
with  about  25,000  inhabitants,  but  very  sleepy  in 
appearance.  They  say  it  is  an  attractive  summer 
resort,  but  we  failed  to  see  many  points  of  attrac- 
tion. There  were  some  fine  churches,  a  few  fine 
dwellings,  but  they  were  mostly  low  and  of  inferior 
appearance.  The  Olympic  Mountains,  with  their 
white  caps,  made  a  beautiful  background  for  this 
little  British  town.  We  were  back  at  the  steamer, 
at  half-past  nine  o'clock,  and  were  off  from  Victoria, 
at  10.20  A.M.,  and  had  a  lovely  sail  all  day.  It  was 
like  a  trip  through  a  colossal  Lake  George ;  every- 
thing was  on  a  magnificent  scale,  so  beautiful,  and 
reflected  in  the  water  was  every  mountain  and 
island,  like  Mirror  Lake  in  the  Yosemite.  Jamie 
and  I  sat  in  silent  comfort  and  asked  the  conun- 
drum to  ourselves,  "  Why  were  we  like  the  luckiest 
of  all  vowels,  the  vowel  i  ?  Because  we  were  in  the 
middle  of  bliss."  Nothing  disturbed  us,  until  a  man 
went  about  the  decks,  ringing  a  fearful  bell,  and 
calling,  '*  All  to  the  Purser's  office  for  table  seats." 
A  crowd  immediately  flew,  but  Jamie  did  not  go  at 
first,  for  we  had  been  informed  in  the  morning,  that 
we  were  to  be  seated  at  the  Purser's  table. 

197 


We  reached  Departure  Bay,  British  Columbia,  at 
five  o'clock.  Jamie  heard  that  the  Queen  (with 
Aunt  Mary  on  board)  was  at  Nanaimo,  a  little 
place  three  miles  from  Departure  Bay;  and  al- 
though she  was  reported  to  sail  at  six  o'clock,  and 
we  had  only  one  hour  in  which  to  reach  her,  we  de- 
termined to  try  it.  Jamie  felt  really  sick,  with  a 
neuralgic  headache,  but  we  flew  along  the  wharf, 
across  the  little  bridge,  and  along  the  beach,  a  half 
mile  in  all,  to  a  house,  which  was  store,  post-office, 
livery  stable  and  all.  In  perfect  breathlessness,  we 
asked  to  hire  a  driver,  horse  and  wagon  in  hot  haste, 
to  reach  the  Queen,  in  double  quick  time.  Inside  of 
five  minutes,  we  were  seated  in  an  old  farm  wagon, 
on  the  back  seat,  and  a  right  good  horse  was  tearing 
along,  driven  by  the  funniest  specimen  of  a  country 
green-horn.  If  he  had  leaned  over  too  far,  or  pulled 
the  horse  up  suddenly,  he  would  surely  have  split  his 
coat,  from  seam  to  seam,  for  he  looked  as  if  he  was 
stuffed  into  it.  We  flew  along  those  three  miles  to 
Nanaimo,  and  it  was  an  exquisite  ride.  The  road 
passes  through  the  most  beautiful  woods,  really 
lovelier  than  any  I  have  ever  seen,  except  in  the 
Yosemite,  and  it  lay  between  tremendous  ferns,  six 
or  seven  feet  high,  and  growing  en  masse^  close  to 
the  driveway.  As  far  as  one  could  see  into  the 
woods,  between  the  great  fir  trees,  the  same  mam- 
moth fern  thicket  was  visible,  and  huge  trees  of 
wild  flowers,  mountain  lilac  making  the  air  almost 
sickeningly  sweet.     As  far  as  one  could  look  ahead, 

X98 


the  same  fern  road-way  invited  us  on,  and  it  was 
lovely.  Before  we  reached  Nanaimo,  we  came  from 
the  woods  into  a  clearing,  and  saw  the  little  town 
lying  before  us,  with  its  lovely  harbor  full  of  ships  ; 
and  the  Queen  lay  at  her  wharf,  as  true  to  her  name 
as  possible  ;  but  we  expected  every  minute  to  see 
the  great  black  smoke  pour  from  her  smoke-stack, 
and  see  her  sail  away.  We  tore  through  the  town, 
over  bridges,  where  fast-driving  was  forbidden  ;  and 
**  John  Gilpin  "  was  nowhere  !  Finally,  we  landed  at  a 
little  hill,  beyond  which  "  the  chariot  "  could  not  go. 
Jamie  and  I  ran  up  the  hill,  rushed  along  the  coal- 
tracks  towards  the  Queen,  and  at  last,  as  we  reached 
the  gang-plank,  worn  out  by  our  rush  (for  it  was 
four  minutes  before  six  then),  I  gasped  out  to  a  coal- 
man standing  near,  '*  When  does  she  sail  ?  "  ^'  About 
twelve  o'clock  to-night "  came  the  answer.  What  a 
relief!  If  that  information  had  only  been  ours 
sooner,  we  might  have  escaped  the  hurry  and  fa- 
tigue, and  Jamie  might  not  have  had  such  a  head- 
ache. Well,  we  were  there,  anyhow ;  now,  how  were 
we  to  find  Aunt  Mary  ?  A  boy's  interest  was  so- 
licited, but  the  Queen  was  a  large  steamer,  and  we 
were  at  a  loss  to  know  how  to  find  her.  A  gen- 
tleman came  to  our  assistance,  and  to  our  inquiry 
for  ''  Mrs.  B.,"  he  said  **  she  is  right  here."  Turn- 
ing and  walking  a  few  steps,  we  came  face  to  face 
with  her, — and  I  shall  never  forget  her  surprise.  She 
was  delighted  to  see  us,  and  the  pleasure  was  mu- 
tual, and  we  chatted  an  hour  with  her.     We  had  a 

199 


lovely  drive  back  to  our  ship,  meeting  many  of  our 
passengers  walking  in  the  woods,  and  found  that 
some  people  had  tried  to  get  conveyances  to  take 
them  to  Nanaimo,  but  we  had  the  only  one  in  the 
place, 

SUNDAY,  JULY  I9TH. 

npiED  up  to  the  dock,  at  Departure  Bay,  all  day 
long  ;  and  such  a  dirty  place  as  this  boat  was, 
until  five  o'clock  this  afternoon,  from  the  dust  and 
dirt  of  the  coal.  This  is  a  great  coal  district ;  a  large 
coal  mine  here  gets  out  twenty-five  hundred  to  three 
thousand  tons  a  day,  and  this  vessel,  since  last  night, 
at  five  o'clock,  has  received  four  hundred  tons. 

After  an  eight  o'clock  breakfast  this  morning, 
Jamie  and  I  came  forward  to  our  stateroom,  won- 
dering where  we  would  spend  the  day.  The  sail 
which  had  been  hung  up  forward  from  our  room,  to 
keep  out  coal  dust,  suddenly  wavered,  and  a  great 
cloud  of  dust  came  towards  us.  "Too  bad,"  ex- 
claimed Mr.  Gray,  the  first  officer,  "the  wind  has 
changed,  and  we're  in  for  it."  Sure  enough  we  were, 
for  from  that  hour,  the  dust  sifted  all  over  the  ship, 
on  one  side.  We  shut  our  room  up  tight,  covered 
everything  with  papers  and  towels,  and  left  it  all  day 
closed,  and  it  was  unharmed  to-night.  Jamie  and  I 
took  our  chairs  this  morning  and  went  to  the  clean 
side  of  the  boat,  and  sat  for  a  while,  but  it  grew  cold, 
and  Jamie  was  feeling  very  poorly  with  neuralgia, 
and  threatened  with  lumbago,  which  filled  him  with 


alarm,  but  did  not,  somehow  or  other,  frighten  me. 
I  began  to  take  a  mental  account  of  the  remedies 
which  I  had  in  my  bag,  but  the  probability  of  poss- 
ible illness  did  not  assume  alarming  proportions  in 
my  mind.  As  it  grew  colder,  Jamie  managed  to 
meander  around,  with  his  back  on  the  bias,  and 
finally  informed  me  that  he  had  found  just  the 
cosiest  corner  for  us  both.  Following  my  "  lord  and 
master,"  we  wandered  into  the  little  smoking  room  ; 
Jamie  put  his  chair  in  a  corner,  I  seated  myself  at  a 
table  near  by,  and  we  spent  our  entire  day  there,  as 
comfortable  and  snug  as  could  be  ;  and  I  wrote  let- 
ters home.  At  twelve  o'clock,  we  went  down  to 
luncheon  and  then  returned  to  "  our  retreat "  again, 
where  I  wrote  until  half  past  four  o'clock,  when  Mr. 
Gray  came  for  my  letters.  We  then  came  to  our 
room  to  make  ready  for  dinner,  and  tie  up  some 
pretty  sweet  grass,  which  Miss  C.  of  Oakland,  had 
brought  me.  Everybody  has  been  off  the  boat,  into 
the  woods  to-day,  or  else  in  little  boats  to  Nanaimo, 
but  James  not  feeling  well,  we  have  kept  very  quiet 
all  day.  The  sweet  grass  is  lovely ;  it  consists  of 
great  big  fresh  green  leaves,  on  a  long  stem.  They 
gather  it,  make  it  into  round  green  balls,  hang 
them  in  the  staterooms,  and  as  they  wither  and  dry, 
the  perfume  is  very  sweet  and  very  strong. 

After  a  good  dinner,  James  and  I  came  to  our 
clean  and  cosy  corner,  and  I  was  writing  to-day's 
journal,  when  Officer  Gray  appeared,  with  the  biggest 
ball  of  sweet  grass  that  I  have  yet  seen,  and  pre- 


sented  it  to  me.  I  felt  quite  complimented,  as  he 
had  sent  a  man  to  gather  it  for  me. 

At  8  P.  M.  we  set  sail  from  Departure  Bay,  and 
right  happy  we  were  to  be  on  the  move  again.  We 
were  all  up  on  the  hurricane  deck,  to  see  the  start, 
and  also  to  see  the  loveliest  of  sunsets.  It  was 
brilliant  daylight  until  nine  o'clock,  and  not  dark 
then,  only  the  moon  began  to  be  radiant  and  shut 
off  the  twilight.  The  sky  was  as  blue,  and  the  clouds 
as  pink  as  shells,  long  after  the  path  of  moonlight 
on  the  water,  had  widened  to  abroad  shining  ribbon. 
This  is  a  land  of  wonder  that  we  are  approaching, 
wonder  in  sky  and  sea,  as  well  as  on  land;  and  a  trip 
to  Alaska  is  instructive,  as  well  as  interesting,  teach- 
ing us  of  tides  as  well  as  of  glaciers  and  ice-bergs. 
If  the  days  are  so  long,  and  the  twilights  without 
end,  one  wonders  why,  and  the  very  query  leads  to 
questions  and  research,  and  ends  in  knowledge 
gained,  if  only  to  be  the  beginning  to  paths  of 
wisdom. 

Jamie  and  I  were  right  royally  tired  by  half  past 
ten,  and  glad  to  retire  to  our  little  shelves. 

MONDAY,  JULY  20TH. 

r^  REY  all  day,  no  sunshine  and  very,  very  cold. 
^^  After  our  breakfast,  at  7.30  A.  M.,  I  did  a  lot  of 
mending  on  my  new  ulster.  Before  I  get  through,  I 
shall  have  made  an  ulster,  for  new  rips  come  every 
day,  but  it  is  a  good  coat  for  all  that,  and  a  young 
lady  on  board  said,  she  **  knew  we  were  from  New 


York,  by  the  cut  of  our  clothes."  As  I  was  dressed 
in  a  Tacoma  cap,  and  a  Portland  ulster,  I  was 
amused.  Afterward,  I  joined  Jamie  in  our  **  cosy 
corner,"  but  all  our  wraps  were  necessary  to-day, 
as  it  has  been  very  cold  and  disagreeably  blowy. 
Mr.  Gray  had  an  awning  put  forward,  to  protect  us 
a  little  from  the  wind.  We  slept  all  the  morning, 
quite  overpowered  with  fatigue,  and  after  luncheon 
out  on  deck,  we  slept  two  hours  more,  until  three 
o'clock,  when  Miss  C.  and  Miss  K.  came,  by  invita- 
tion, and  we  had  "afternoon  tea,"  with  my  Chinese 
"  Tea-basket ;"  and  a  third  guest  came  before  we 
had  finished.  After  dinner,  we  did  nothing  but 
chat  with  Commander  and  Mrs.  G.,  Senator  and  Mrs. 
D.,  until  nine,  when  we  had  supper.  We  eat 
and  sleep  constantly.  The  passengers  were  reading 
novels  on  deck,  until  half  past  nine  to-night, — such 
long  twilights  ! 

TUESDAY,  JULY  2 1  ST. 

A  GREY  day ;  clouds  have  hung  low  over  the 
mountains,  just  lifting  once  in  a  while,  to  give 
us  a  peep  of  some  snow-caps,  then  nestling  closely 
again,  down  on  the  tree  tops.  Instead  of  detract- 
ing from  the  beauty,  I  think  the  clouds  have 
added  to  this  scene  of  wildness  and  mystery,  for 
they  have  been  like  thin  gauze  ribbons  or  festoons, 
hung  in  every  variety  of  way.  I  say  this  "  scene  of 
wildness,"  because  every  hill  and  mountain,  every 
island  and  shore  line,  is  covered  with  fir  trees  thick 

203 


together,  and  so  dense,  one  sees  hundreds  of  trees 
on  a  mountain,  like  one  huge  green  covering ;  there 
is  no  outline  of  individuality,  or  any  marked  feature, 
to  distinguish  one  spot  from  another,  and  not  one 
living  thing  to  be  seen.  There  is  a  sameness  in 
color  to-day,  because  there  is  no  sunshine  to  produce 
a  variety ;  but  the  sunshine  is  not  needed,  to  show 
us  the  beautiful  outline  of  the  islands,  or  the  chang- 
ing coast  of  the  mainland.  The  islands  cannot  be 
numbered,  for  every  variety, — from  a  little  round 
tuft  of  rock  and  green,  to  a  great  big  surface,  half 
the  size  of  some  of  our  Eastern  States, — we  have 
passed  during  the  last  two  days.  It  makes  an  ever 
changing  scene,  as  we  steam  along  a  narrow  channel^ 
close  to  the  shore,  then  out  on  a  stretch  of  ocean, 
the  roll  of  whose  waves  sends  timid  hearts  and  un- 
steady stomachs  to  their  little  rooms.  There  is 
only  one  stretch  of  sea-crossing,  which  is  really  very 
rough,  and  that  is  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound,  and 
we  made  that  yesterday.  We  have  not  been  yet  out 
of  sight  of  land. 

To-day  has  been  too  short.  We  began  by  having 
breakfast  at  half  past  seven;  then,  after  attending  to 
a  few  **  odds  and  ends,"  Jamie  and  I  seated  our- 
selves in  our  corner,  to  enjoy  the  morning,  and  be- 
fore we  were  aware,  the  sea  breezes  had  made  us  so 
drowsy,  we  could  not  keep  awake,  and  it  was  near 
eleven  when  I  opened  my  eyes,  to  find  the  wife  of 
Senator  D.,  of  Oregon,  seated  near  us.  She  had 
adopted  our  corner,  and  we  were  glad  to  have   so 


agreeable  and  handsome  a  companion.  We  chatted, 
and  a  very  good  article  in  Frank  Leslie's  Magazine, 
of  August,  1 89 1,  on  **  A  Trip  to  Alaska  "  was  read, 
then  twelve  o'clock  and  luncheon.  After  lunch, 
Mr.  C,  the  purser,  Mr.  C,  the  freight  clerk.  Misses 
K.,  D.,  J.,  of  San  Jos6,  Miss  C,  of  Oakland,  Dr.  N., 
of  Johns  Hopkins  University,  Mrs.  D.  and  a  few 
others,  all  gathered  in  our  corner,  and  we  asked 
conundrums,  until  worn  out  and  weary,  when  we  dis- 
persed for  naps.  I  tried  to  write  my  journal,  but  my 
head  was  in  such  a  state  of  commotion,  from  the 
ship's  motion,  that  I  could  do  nothing,  so  gave  it  up 
until  we  should  come  to  Loring.  Miss  C.  came,  about 
half  past  four,  and  serenaded  me  outside  my  door, 
with  a  banjo  and  a  song,  very  sweet  and  pretty. 
About  five  o'clock,  "first  dinner"  was  announced, 
and  after  it,  as  somebody  at  our  table  discovered 
that  I  knew  a  little  about  palmistry  (they  did  not 
know  how  little  that  was),  our  corner  was  soon  full 
of  applicants  for  "  a  reading," — thin  and  fat  hands, 
artistic  and  practical.  I  read  about  two  dozen,  very 
poorly^  too,  but  it  pleased  the  little  crowd,  and  es- 
pecially Jamie,  as  I  happened  to  **  hit  several  nails 
on  the  head."  I  think  twenty-five  or  thirty  sur- 
rounded us  ;  it  was  as  bad  as  in  Chinatown  with  the 
camera. 

At  last,  about  8  P.  M.,  we  steamed  up  to  a  miser- 
able collection  of  little  huts,  about  fifteen  houses  in 
all,  and  the  Captain  said,  "This  is  Loring,  in 
Alaska."     A  fish   cannery  is    the  industry  of   the 

205 


place,  where  they  can  salmon;  and  some  people  who 
went  ashore,  say,  "You  will  never  eat  canned 
salmon,  if  you  once  see  the  process !"  Lots  of  people 
went  ashore,  but  it  was  pouring — a  regular  Alaska 
down-pour, — and  as  I  knew  we  should  have  another 
chance  to  land  here,  on  the  return  trip,  I  came  to  my 
room,  to  get  in  out  of  the  rain,  and  have  been  writ- 
ing this  journal.  I  am  sitting  in  the  tiny  room, 
my  door  is  shut  and  light  comes  only  through  a 
small  window,  and  yet  it  is  quite  light  enough  to 
see  to  write ;  and  it  is  8.50  P.  M.,  and  a  rainy  night 
at  that. 

To-day  we  passed  an  empty  Indian  village.  Fort 
Tongas,  it  is  called  on  the  map.  The  Indians  re- 
turn to  it  in  winter.  We  saw  many  Totem  poles, 
and  the  Indian  graveyard.  They  put  their  dead 
under  ground,  but  build  little  houses,  and  fences 
about  the  corpse,  and  it  is  quite  an  unusual  sight, — 
a  little  miniature  village. 

WEDNESDAY,   JULY  22ND. 

A  T  five  o'clock  this  morning,  we  steamed  up 
to  Fort  Wrangle's  dock,  and  tied  up  to  the 
wharf.  It  was  a  damp,  chilly,  disagreeable  morn- 
ing, but  we  were  up  early,  in  order  to  see  all 
we  could  at  this  Alaskan  Port.  Fort  Wrangle,  once 
upon  a  time,  was  a  flourishing  little  town,  being  the 
nearest  one,  of  any  size,  to  the  British  boundary,  and 
mines  in  the  vicinity  were  in  working  order,  pro- 
ducing activity  and  life  in  this  small  village.     The 

206 


river  Stikeen  opens  up  from  Wrangle  to  the  British 
possessions,  and  was  the  quickest  path,  in  those 
days,  from  Victoria  to  the  British  mines.  That  life 
of  activity  and  interest,  bringing  Fort  Wrangle  in 
touch  with  the  world,  is  over  now,  as  capital /<?r  the 
mines  and  deposits  in  the  mines,  have  both  simul- 
taneously given  out,  and  this  little  village  has 
dwindled  into  a  tumble-down  wreck  of  a  place, 
which  was  not  much  to  boast  of,  in  its  palmiest 
days.  From  the  wharf,  broken-down  huts,  devoid 
of  paint  or  embellishment  of  any  kind,  one  story 
high,  seem  to  be  clustered  about  the  curve  of  the 
shore,  making  a  semicircle  of  civilization,  most  un- 
attractive externally  and  swarming  with  Indians,  of 
every  age  and  size.  Everything  seems  stamped 
with  the  motto  *'  going  to  destruction,"  for  houses 
are  tumbling  down,  their  supports  seem  insecure, 
and  uncertainty  is  written  on  everything,  in  the 
little  town  of  Fort  Wrangle.  Rubbish  lies  in  every 
path,  broken  wharves,  wrecks  of  once  fleet  steam- 
ships, tumbling  shanties,  and  no  one  seems  thrifty 
enough  to  put  a  nail  into  needy  places,  or  clear 
away  the  piles  of  rubbish.  In  going  about,  we  had 
board  walks  for  a  while,  but  then  had  to  wander  on 
the  shore,  covered  with  stones,  and  old  shoes,  and 
tin  cans. 

At  ten  minutes  after  six,  Jamie  wandered  back 
into  the  stateroom,  and  I  arose.  He  had  been  out 
to  walk,  having  met  Miss  C,  and  gone  with  her  to  an 
Indian  silversmith's,  and  bought  me  two  tiny  silver 

207 


bangles,  of  dainty  design  and  work.  He  hurried  me 
as  much  as  he  could,  and  before  seven  o'clock,  we 
were  wandering  up  the  wharf,  poking  our  noses  into 
the  funny  little  shops,  and  finally  we  wandered  into 
the  silversmith's  little  out-of-the-way  cottage.  We 
then  went  through  a  long  alley-way,  up  a  little 
incline,  and  came  to  a  neat  little  hut.  As  we  ap- 
proached, I  could  smell — a  smell  I  shall  not  forget, 
— an  odor  of  smoked  and  smoking  herrmg !  Oh,  how 
these  people, — their  baskets  and  wares, — do  smell ! 
By  a  stove,  stood  a  young  Indian  boy,  cooking  the 
small  red  fish, — opposite,  at  a  table,  sat  Indian 
Charlie,  eating  his  fish  like  sticks  of  candy.  No- 
thing else  was  before  him, — absolutely  nothing, — 
that  was  his  breakfast !  The  room  was  small,  but  it 
looked  clean.  It  was  papered  with  daily  news- 
papers ;  once  in  a  while,  an  illustrated  weekly  shone 
forth  conspicuously.  In  one  corner  stood  a  bed, 
clean  and  white  and  nicely  made,  and  on  it  lay  a 
bundle  of  flannel,  on  pillows.  In  another  corner,  on 
the  floor, — on  some  kind  of  mattress, — in  a  pink 
dress,  but  under  a  sheet  and  blanket,  lay  a  young 
Indian  woman  ;  and  by  her  side  was  a  plate,  with 
the  sticks  of  unappetizing  herring  on  it,  for  her  to 
eat.  This  young  woman  was  just  a  mother,— -and 
the  bundle  on  the  bed,  was  the  two  days  old  Indian 
baby, — a  little  round  roll  of  fatness.  James  marched 
into  the  room,  and  straight  over  to  the  bed,  as  if  he 
was  an  old  friend  of  the  family,  and  he  called  to  me, 
to  come  and  see  the  little  baby !     It  was   a  dear 


little  dark-skinned  Indian,  and  was  fighting  with  its 
little  fists,  like  a  born  warrior.  When  a  child 
is  a  year  old,  the  first  winter,  the  mother  takes 
it  to  the  river  or  bay,  and  puts  it  in  the  cold- 
est water  to  be  found.  If  the  child  lives,  it  is 
hardened,  they  say,  by  this  process ;  but  if  it  dies, 
it  was  too  sickly  for  earth.  After  viewing  the  in- 
fant, we  wandered  about  again,  and  met  a  white  man, 
who  took  us  to  see  an  old  war-boat,  used  always  in 
war,  and  carrying  forty  or  fifty  men.  It  was  cut 
from  one  log,  and  had  long  pointed  bow  and  stern, 
like  gondolas.  As  we  passed  through  an  old  build- 
ing to  go  and  see  it,  we  came  suddenly  upon  a  dog, 
— I  thought  it  was, — and  although  chained,  I  was 
not  afraid,  and  put  out  my  hand  to  pat  his  head. 
He  growled  fiercely,  and  I  jumped  back  fortunate- 
ly, for  it  was  a  wolf,  and  he  was  quite  ferocious 
toward  strangers.  The  owner  came  and  held  him, 
while  I  passed,  and  said,  *'  Well,  he  might  do  no 
harm  ; — he  tore  the  minister's  clothes  all  to  pieces 
last  time  he  called  !  "  On  all  corners,  sat  groups  of 
old  women  and  children,  in  their  queer  crouching 
positions,  bent  shoulders,  thick  bright  blankets  and 
brilliant  head  handkerchiefs.  Their  faces  are  stupid 
and  express  but  little,  their  skin  is  like  a  hide,  and 
very  dark.  They  rub  in  paint  of  red  shades,  or  else 
blacken  the  face,  all  over  sometimes,  again  only  in 
spots,  with  stove  blacking,  or  a  gum  of  one  of  their 
trees. 

We  came  back  to  the  ship  for  breakfast,  which  we 

fl09 


swallowed  in  double  quick  time ;  then  in  a  flock,  we 
all  wandered  out  again,  around  the  shore  to  where 
the  totem  poles  were  the  finest.  These  Indians  at 
Fort  Wrangle  get  trees  from  the  forest,  take  the 
bark  off,  and  carve — rudely,  to  be  sure, — their  family- 
history  upon  these  poles.  They  are  their  family 
trees,  their  badge  of  heraldry,  historical  record  of 
their  own  brave  chiefs ;  and  they  set  them  up  in 
front  of  their  houses,  usually  placing  on  the  sum- 
mit, some  monstrous  animal,  with  huge  wide-open 
mouth,  or  all  eyes,  which  means  something,  that  I 
could  not  find  out.  These  poles  are  called  "  Totem 
poles,"  and  are  usually  five  or  six  times  as  high  as 
the  house.  Some  are  painted,  some  seem  all  eyes, 
which  they  vary  with  different  colors.  They  also 
place  them  about  their  graves,  and  they  are  most 
unusual,  and  very  interesting.  In  Longfellow's 
beautiful  poem,  we  read  of  this  peculiar  characteris- 
tic of  these  Indians : 

"  All  these  things  did  Hiawatha 
Show  unto  his  wondering  people, 
And  interpreted  their  meaning, 
And  he  said  ;  *  Behold,  your  grave-posts 
Have  no  mark,  no  sign,  nor  symbol. 
Go  and  paint  them  all  with  figures ; 
Each  one  with  its  household  symbol. 
With  its  own  ancestral  Totem  ; 
So  that  those  who  follow  after 
May  distinguish  them  and  know  them.' 
And  they  painted  on  the  grave-posts 
Of  the  graves  yet  unforgotten. 


Each  his  own  ancestral  Totem, 
Each  the  symbol  of  his  household, 
Figures  of  the  Bear  aud  Reindeer, 
Of  the  Turtle,  Crane,  and  Beaver." 


We  saw  five  or  six  very  fine  ones.  Two  were  in 
front  of  the  house  belonging  to  a  nephew  of  the 
Chief — **  Shakes  "  by  name,  and  he  asked  us  in  and 
up  one  flight  of  steps  (for  this  was  a  new  and  mod- 
ern dwelling),  to  see  a  totem  pole,  of  small  dimen- 
sions (carried  on  all  state  occasions  by  the  Chief), 
one  thousand  years  old.  He  also  showed  us  a  queer 
hat,  five  hundred  years  old,  worn  by  many  Indian 
chiefs.  It  was  like  an  inverted  pan,  made  of  wood, 
painted  a  queer  blue,  and  on  it  was  a  monster, 
spreading  all  over  it,  with  outstretched  claws,  and 
tremendous  shining  eyes,  in  a  bronze  color.  On  top 
of  that  was  a  queer  little  thing,  which  stuclf  up  like  a 
chimney,  and  waved  when  a  man  walked,  from 
which  hung  tails  of  fur. 

James  and  I  had  a  pleasant  time,  and  were  return- 
ing to  the  ship,  when  Mr.  C,  the  clerk,  a  good-natured 
fellow,  came  running  after  us,  to  say  they  had  per- 
suaded Katashan  to  put  on  all  his  fine  toggery,  and 
come  out  for  me  to  photograph  him.  Of  course, 
we  were  delighted  and  hurried  back,  and  as  soon  as 
we  came  in  sight  of  the  door,  there  stood  the  Indian 
in  full  regimentals ;  and  a  study  in  color  he  was.  A 
Chilcat  blanket,  full  of  yellow  wool  and  great  black 
eyes,   covered  his  shoulders,  and  the  straw-colored 


fringe  hung  nearly  to  the  ground.  On  his  head 
was  the  old  hat,  and  in  his  hand  the  showy  totem 
pole,  and  he  was  a  picture  indeed.  After  he  had 
disappeared,  his  little  son  came  up  and  asked  if  we 
would  like  to  have  him  sing.  He  was  a  little  chap, 
and  too  cute  for  anything.  He  had  been  taught  in 
the  Indian  school,  which  is  doing  wonderful  work 
among  the  little  people.  "Thumpkins  he  can  dance 
alone,"  and  similar  ballads,  were  his  stock  in  trade, 
and  very  cutely  he  sang  them  too,  then  bowed  very 
low,  and  at  once  passed  round  his  little  straw  hat. 
He  was  bountifully  rewarded.  We  soon  had  to  hurry 
back  to  the  steamer,  as  we  were  to  leave  Fort  Wran- 
gle, at  10.30  A.  M. 

Our  trip  all  day  was  lovely,  through  exquisite 
scenery,  bountifully  supplied  with  snow  mountains 
and  numerous  islands,  most  picturesque  and  beau- 
tiful. I  sewed  a  bit  before  lunch,  and  after  lunch, 
in  the  delicious  cool  crisp  air,  we  slept  and  nearly 
froze.  After  dinner  it  was  very  cold,  so  we  sat  in 
our  cabin  reading,  until  we  began  to  approach  Point 
Ellis ;  then  we  went  on  the  hurricane  deck,  and 
watched  the  man  throw  the  lead  and  take  soundings. 

Point  Ellis  consists  merely  of  a  cannery,  belong- 
ing to  Mr.  E.,  who  was  a  Mexico  passenger ;  and  the 
Mexico  went  out  of  her  course,  to  take  the  owner 
to  view,  for  the  first  time,  his  property.  We  left 
him  there,  and  will  go  after  him  later,  on  our  re- 
turn trip.  As  we  were  rounding  into  the  Bay,  near 
Point  Ellis,    Miss  C.   said,    **  Isn't  it   light  for  nine 


o*clock  ?  "  "  Nine  o'clock  !  "  I  exclaimed,  "  you're 
crazy ;  it  can't  be  more  than  seven,  if  it  is  that."  We 
immediately  took  out  our  watches,  and  sure  enough 
it  was  nine  o'clock.  It  was  as  bright  as  it  is  at  home 
at  five. 

The  view  here  was  perfectly  beautiful.  The  fore- 
ground was  full  of  lovely  wooded  islands,  of  numer- 
ous shapes  and  sizes,  then  a  band  of  blue  water,  be- 
hind which,  the  great  ragged  peaks  of  the  moun- 
tains rose,  boldly  outlined  against  such  a  sky  as  one 
seldom  sees, — the  bluish  grey  of  the  rocks  on  their 
summits,  contrasting  strangely  with  the  great  white 
snow  patches  on  them;  and,  over  all,  a  pink  glow  was 
thrown  from  the  sunshine,  which  deepened  into 
rose,  then  red,  purple  and  all  shades  of  violet ;  and 
all  was  reflected  in  a  mirror  of  water  below.  We 
stood  in  a  speechless  trance,  spellbound  by  such 
beauty.  The  sunshine  lasted  until  after  ten  o'clock, 
then  a  radiant  twilight  came  down  upon  us,  and  at 
eleven  o'clock,  I  could  see  plainly,  sitting  outside  my 
own  room  door,  as  I  wrote  a  letter  to  the  three 
at  home. 

We  had  much  fun  to-day,  watching  whales,  which 
came  so  near  the  ship,  we  could  see  their  great  heads 
and  shining  bodies  plainly. 

THURSDAY,  JULY  23RD. 

A  NCHORED  at  Douglas  Island,  Alaska,  10.30 
"^     P.  M.,  in  bright  daylight  and  on  deck. 
Although  half  past  ten  o'clock,  it  is  bright  day- 

313 


light,  and  I  am  sitting  outside  my  stateroom,  writ- 
ing in  the  twilight  of  this  Alaskan  day.  It  is  a 
queer  sensation  to  have  the  daylight  linger  so  long ; 
it  quite  upsets  one's  ideas  of  the  proper  order  of 
things,  and  makes  going  to  bed  seem  almost  a  sac- 
rilege. The  sun  set  about  half  past  nine  to-night, 
and  the  beautiful  rose-glow  on  the  snow  mountains 
was  simply  heavenly,  at  a  quarter  to  ten  o'clock. 
Now,  as  I  write,  without  exaggeration,  it  is  as 
bright  as  it  is  at  home,  at  seven  o'clock  in  summer. 
The  mountains  have  a  golden  glory  all  behind  them, 
and  it  is  beautiful,  although  uncanny  and  mysteri- 
ous, to  one  accustomed  to  darkness  at  the  "  proper 
hour."  They  say,  to-morrow  night,  it  will  be  still 
later  when  the  sun  goes  down,  for  we  start  out  in  a 
few  minutes  now,  to  go  further  north.  I  must  say, 
this  long  twilight  is  simply  fascinating,  and  makes 
one  forget  fatigue  and  every  care,  in  the  cheerful 
and  continual  blessing  of  the  sunshine.  It  covers 
the  entire  scene  with  a  glow  and  a  glory,  which 
make  all  beautiful.  Last  month,  the  days  were 
longer,  but  gradually,  month  by  month,  the  days 
shorten,  until,  during  the  winter,  the  sun  departs 
about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  although 
not  inky  black  until  six  o'clock  at  night,  lamps  are 
lighted  about  2  P.  M.     Doleful  it  is  then  ! 

We  were  up  this  morning  at  the  usual  hour,  had 
breakfast  at  half  past  seven ;  and  it  is  simply  aston- 
ishing how  much  one  can  sleep  and  eat,  on  ship- 
board.    A  trip  to  Alaska   is   *'  a  life  on  the  ocean 

214 


wave/*  without  much  wave  about  it,  just  delightful 
and  ideal,  and  as  unusual  as  it  is  easy.  After  break- 
fast Misses  C — ,  J — ,  D — ,  K — ,  N — ,  and  I,  sat 
awhile  together,  then  I  came  to  my  room  to  finish  a 
letter  home,  which  I  wanted  to  mail  in  Juneau. 
Dinner  at  twelve  o'clock,  or  rather  luncheon,  and 
then  about  two  o'clock,  we  were  nearing  Juneau,  the 
largest  city  in  Alaska,  and  naturally,  everybody  was 
on  deck,  and  all  on  the  *'  qui  vive  "  to  see  this  spot. 
We  had  travelled  miles  and  miles,  without  a  single 
sign  of  civilization,  and  now  we  were  approaching  a 
big  city.  At  the  foot  of  some  very  high  mountains, 
nestled  close  to  the  water's  edge,  stood  Juneau,  a 
city  of  a  few  hundred  inhabitants.  Houses  were 
many,  with  but  one  story,  and  usually  one  room  in 
them,  and  although  some,  high  upon  the  hill,  were 
more  palatial  in  appearance,  they  were  only  moder- 
ately beautiful,  that  was  all.  We  went  on  shore  as 
soon  as  we  could,  and  everyone  made  a  rush  for  the 
stores  marked  "curios."  Etiquette  was  forgotten, 
in  some  instances,  and  a  person's  natural  selfishness 
stood  out  "in  full  feather."  Jamie  and  Miss  C.  made 
a  mad  march  for  "souvenir  spoons."  Everybody  is 
spoony  in  these  trips;  in  fact,  the  fad  is  an  epidemic, 
in  a  violent  form. 

Of  course,  Juneau  is  hilly,  and  the  best  street  is 
on  the  side  of  the  hill.  There  are  nice  stores  here, 
— a  fine  drug-store,  good  provision  stores,  fur  shops 
without  number, — and  baskets  of  Alaskan  weave  in 
every  form  and  variety.     We  saw  a  funny  sight  on 

315 


a  street  corner.  Under  a  sheltering  roof,  by  the 
side  of  a  store,  sat  a  dozen  Indian  women,  crouch- 
ing down  on  their  haunches  (for  Indians  never 
use  or  possess  chairs).  They  were  sitting  back 
against  the  wall,  in  a  row, — such  filthy,  dirty  old 
hags,  that  one  felt  like  keeping  a  good  distance 
from  them.  In  front  of  them  were  china  cups, 
filled  with  all  kinds  of  berries,  which  they  ex- 
pected we  would  buy.  They  wear  always  moc- 
casins, an  old  calico  skirt,  blankets  pinned  about  the 
neck  and  falling  from  the  shoulders,  and  handker- 
chiefs over  their  heads.  Yellow,  red,  and  bright 
green,  are  their  favorite  colors,  and  in  contrast  with 
their  dark  skins  and  black  hair,  are  very  picturesque. 
A  group  of  Indian  women  is  generally  a  study  in 
color,  of  the  highest  tints.  Some  of  these  women 
were  young,  some  were  old,  but  all  wore  innumerable 
silver  rings,  sometimes  on  every  finger,  and  ban- 
gles of  silver  by  dozens.  There  is  no  Indian  woman 
poor  enough,  to  go  without  her  silver  ornaments. 
One  curious  custom  among  them  is,  that  they  paint 
their  faces  with  vermilion,  and  rub  it  in,  until  it  is  a 
brilliant  red.  As  I  said  before,  the  most  revolting 
habit  is  painting  the  face  black,  which  is  a  very  com- 
mon custom,  and  we  saw  many  at  Juneau  blackened, 
and  shining,  as  black  as  a  coal  everywhere,  except 
rings  around  eyes  and  mouth.  They  do  it  for  three 
reasons — to  protect  the  face,  sometimes,  from  the 
sun  when  canoeing,  again  for  beauty,  but  mostly,  as 
a  little  Indian  boy  expressed   it,  *'  When  she  wants 

216 


to  cry  a  good  deal,  cause  she  lost  her  papa" — in 
other  words,  as  a  badge  of  mourning.  When  a 
woman  marries,  she  has  her  chin  pierced,  as  we  do 
our  ears,  and  has  a  silver  piece  put  in  it.  It  is  called 
a  labret,  and  is  the  mark  of  a  married  woman.  It  is 
like  a  cribbage  marking  pin,  only  made  of  silver, 
larger  and  longer,  and  even  in  size,  and  sticks  out  of 
the  lower  lip,  or  the  chin  under  the  lip,  about  an 
inch.  One  woman  we  saw  at  Juneau,  had  not  only 
a  labret,  but  she  had  a  silver  ring  put  through  her 
nose.  You  see  dozens  of  these  people,  on  the  cor- 
ners, and  on  the  wharves,  all  offering  goods  for  sale, 
and  at  big  prices  too.  They  live  in  huts,  always 
close  together,  and  as  they  have  no  fear  of  dirt,  you 
see  it  in  every  variety  and  form,  in  Indian  villages. 
One  walks  into  an  Indian  village  at  first  courage- 
ously, and  with  interest,  but  feels  like  crawling  out 
as  soon  as  possible.  We  visited  the  little  village,  or 
settlement,  near  the  wharf.  In  a  door-way,  crouch- 
ing down,  sat  a  young  mother,  with  a  ten  days  old 
baby  in  her  arms.  We  went  near  and  looked  at  the 
diminutive  scrap,  and  never  in  my  life  have  I  seen 
such  an  atom,  in  the  form  of  a  baby.  An  ordinary 
sized  orange  would  be  large,  in  comparison  with  its 
head,  and  its  hands  were  like  birds'  claws,  as  some 
one  expressed  it.  I  do  not  believe  it  measured 
more  than  twelve  inches,  ''over  all "  (as  they  say 
of  a  ship),  I  tried  to  get  the  mother  to  let  me  take 
her  picture,  with  her  baby,  but  she  cried  and  went 
into  her  house.    After  strolling  all  over  town,  trying 


to  get  some  lemonade,  or  apollinaris,  or  something, 
which  we  could  not  do,  we  wandered  back  to  the 
ship  and  rested,  for  we  were  to  have  a  long  evening. 
Dinner  at  five  o'clock,  then  we  mustered  up  a  little 
crowd  and  went  on  shore,  up  to  an  Indian  tent, 
to  see  a  War  Dance  by  the  Indians,  in  their  native 
dress,  paint  and  feathers.  It  was  a  disappointment, 
no  doubt,  to  the  Indians,  that  so  few  people  came 
to  their  unique  performance,  but  some  did  not  think 
it  worth  "  one  dollar  admission,"  and  only  about  a 
dozen  of  us  were  present.  Behind  a  miserably  dirty 
curtain,  on  a  little  raised  stage,  sat  the  Indians,  and 
in  their  shrill  harsh  voices,  they  chanted  for  about 
fifteen  minutes,  before  we  were  allowed  to  see  them. 
We,  in  the  meantime,  were  seated  on  boards  and 
benches,  in  the  middle  of  a  medium  sized  tent. 
At  last,  Yash  Noosh,  the  Chief,  in  a  checked  suit 
of  brownish  tint,  and  a  straw  hat,  gave  the  signal, 
and  the  curtain  was  drawn  aside.  About  half  a 
dozen  Indians,  in  brilliant  paint,  with  Chilcat 
blankets  and  feather  head-dresses,  with  numberless 
ermine  tails  hanging  down  behind,  and  queer  war- 
spears,  began  to  tip  back  and  forth,  from  heel  to  toe, 
and  then  jumping  and  see-sawing  on  their  toes,  and 
keeping  time  to  a  queer  melancholy  chant,  as  weird 
and  doleful  as  it  could  be.  They  kept  this  up  for  a 
while,  then  the  curtain  came  down,  and  a  recess  was 
taken.  Another  dance  exhibited  other  war-gar- 
ments, queer  trousers  of  buckskin,  bright  woven 
blankets,  new  attitudes,  and  new  tunes,  and  quite 

218 


unusual  and  different  from  the  first.  The  perform- 
ance consisted  of  a  series  of  these  dances,  very  strange 
and  picturesque,  and  ended  in  a  "  Medicine  Man's 
Dance.*'  The  Medicine  Man  was  trying  to  expel  an 
evil  spirit  from  his  patient,  who  lay  quite  still  on 
the  floor,  and  the  physician  and  attendants  made  the 
most  unearthly  noise,  screaming,  howling,  beating  a 
drum,  and  doing  enough  to  kill  any  sick  man  from 
sheer  exhaustion.  All  the  time,  the  wonderful  doc- 
tor was  sitting  down  on  his  haunches,  and  hopping 
around  like  a  toad,  while  another  attendant  kept 
throwing  feathers  all  over  him,  and  in  his  face  also. 
The  performance  ended  with  this  Medicine  dance, 
and  while  we  would  not  go  one  block  to  see  it  again, 
it  was  well  worth  one  visit,  and  we  were  glad  we 
had  gone.  Among  the  performers  was  a  tiny  boy, 
whose  reddened  face  and  black  lines,  over  nose  and 
cheeks,  enlisted  the  interest  of  all  the  audience. 
He  teetered  back  and  forth  on  his  little  toes,  to  the 
great  amusement  of  all.  He  was  dressed  in  a  little 
fur  coat,  and  was  too  cunning  for  anything.  After 
one  dance,  this  diminutive  scrap  came  tumbling 
from  behind  the  curtain,  in  a  flood  of  tears, 
stopping  every  few  steps  to  rub  one  poor  little  toe, 
which  a  big  Indian  had  stepped  upon.  His  red 
paint  and  black,  were  getting  hopelessly  mixed  and 
streaked.  One  of  our  party  took  the  little  fellow, 
and  sat  him  in  our  midst,  and  as  she  did  so,  she  ex- 
claimed, *'  Oh,  how  I  would  like  to  wash  you,  you 
dirty  little  thing!  "     He  was  almost  better  than  the 

219 


performance.  All  the  while  these  Indians  danced, 
it  seemed  as  if  they  were  waxing  more  and  more 
angry,  and  one  could  easily  imagine  that  they  could 
commit  any  number  of  atrocious  deeds,  after  such 
agitating  performances. 

At  eight  o'clock,  the  Mexico  steamed  off  from 
Juneau,  across  the  bay  to  Douglas  Island,  a  couple 
of  miles  only,  and  we  remained  there  from  nine 
o'clock  to  twelve,  when  we  set  sail  for  Chilcat  Can- 
neries. On  Douglas  Island,  we  were  much  interested, 
for  the  richest  mine  of  gold  in  the  world  is  there, 
turning  out  a  million  dollars  worth  of  gold  a  year ; 
and  there  is  no  sign  of  any  lessening  for  years  to 
come.  It  is  the  Tredwell  Mine,  owned,  it  is  said, 
by  D.  O.  Mills,  and  other  capitalists. 

At  9  P.  M.  in  an  army,  the  passengers  marched  up 
the  pier,  to  the  buildings  of  the  mining  company. 
We  were  specially  invited,  by  a  young  friend  of  Miss 
C.'s  who  was  here,  and  had  influence,  to  go  with 
about  twelve,  in  a  private  party,  so  we  went  through 
the  Tredwell  Mine,  with  a  former  superintendent  of 
the  mine,  who  took  us  everywhere,  except  into  the 
room  where  the  gold  is  poured  into  moulds.  That 
is  a  forbidden  place  to  all,  as  the  immense  yield  of 
the  mine  is  kept  secret.  We  saw  the  two  hundred 
and  forty  stamp  mill,  where  the  ore  is  put  into  the 
crusher,  the  quicksilver  slabs  over  which  the  gold  is 
washed  and  caught,  the  concentrator,  or  a  vertical 
shaking  slab,  where  all  gold,  that  escaped  the  first 
slab,  is  caught  and  separated  from  the  soda ;  then  that 


dust  is  put  in  fires  and  baked,  and  again  put  in  tanks, 
and  a  solution  of  acid  thrown  over  it,  which  separates 
the  last  remnants  of  gold,  from  the  common  stuffs. 
We  went  everywhere,  even  climbed  up  a  steep  place, 
and  looked  down  into  the  mine,  saw  the  shutes,  down 
which  the  ore  is  thrown  into  cars  below.  It  was  a 
most  interesting  experience.  At  9.45  P.  M.  we  came 
out  of  the  mine  and  enjoyed  the  exquisite  sunset, 
with  the  lovely  pink  glow  on  the  snow-mountains. 

We  saw  some  icebergs  to-day,  not  large  ones,  to 
be  sure,  but  a  little  taste  of  what  we  are  to  see 
later.  The  glaciers,  on  the  mountain  sides,  were 
beautiful  to-day. 

Miss  K.  gave  me  a  pretty  drawn  work  hand- 
kerchief to-day,  and  Miss  N.  brought  me  some 
lovely  wild  flowers  at  night. 

FRIDAY,  JULY  24TH. 

'I  A  7"  HEN  we  awoke  this  morning,  we  were  an- 
chored off  the  Chilcat  Canneries,  and  found 
ourselves  unable  to  go  ashore,  even  if  we  desired  to 
do  so.  The  wind  is  very  strong  to-day ;  the  tide  is 
low,  and  as  there  is  but  little  to  see,  we  are  not 
sorry  to  be  obliged  to  stay  on  our  ship.  It  is  a 
lovely  place  to  anchor,  for  the  views,  in  every  direc- 
tion, are  grand  and  magnificent.  As  we  stepped 
out  of  our  stateroom,  to  go  to  breakfast  this  morn- 
ing, we  looked  right  into  the  face  of  a  tremendous 
blue  glacier,  on  the  shore  opposite.  It  is  a  wonder- 
ful sight  to  me,  these  great  frozen  rivers,  so  majestic 


in  their  silent  grandeur ;  and  in  the  sunshine,  the  va- 
riety of  blue  and  green  ice  crevices,  give  a  marvel- 
ous effect  to  the  entire  surface.  Near  the  ship,  is  a 
queer  formation  of  stones  and  boulders,  in  piles  and 
layers,  which  is  said  to  be  the  terminal  moraine  of 
an  ancient  glacier.  This  huge  glacier  before  us  is 
called  **  Davidson's  Glacier/*  The  story  is  told, 
that  a  man  some  time  ago,  grew  discontented  with 
his  work  for  Mr.  Muir  (of  Muir  Glacier  fame),  and 
rather  than  stay  with  him,  he  determined  to  cross 
this  dangerous  ice-flow,  and  reach  his  home  on  the 
bay,  where  we  are  now  anchored.  He  was  fourteen 
days  in  doing  it ;  and  although  he  had  two  extra 
pairs  of  shoes  with  him,  he  reached  his  destination 
bare-footed.  He  had  coffee  and  biscuits  with  him, 
— fortunately  met  and  killed  a  bear,  on  his  way,  and 
had  many  and  thrilling  experiences.  Some  days  he 
would  creep  for  only  two  miles,  then  find  some 
gorge  or  crevice  impassable,  and  have  his  steps  to 
retrace,  and  a  fresh  beginning  to  make. 

This  morning,  after  breakfast,  I  was  standing  near 
the  pilot-house,  taking  a  view  of  our  surroundings, 
when  a  gentleman  joined  us,  and  began  to  speak  of 
the  two  missionaries,  we  are  to  leave  in  this  desolate 
spot, — a  young  man  from  Princeton,  and  his  new 
wife.  I  was  at  once  interested,  as  being  in  the  for- 
ward part  of  the  ship,  these  facts  had  not  reached 
my  ears.  I  went  aft  to  see  them,  and  had  a  long 
chat  with  the  brave  young  people.  They  have  left 
home,  a  father  and  mother  over  seventy  years  old. 


to  come  and  teach  these  Chilcat  Indians.  The 
Chilcat  tribe  numbers  about  three  thousand, 
and  are  the  most  powerful  tribe  in  Alaska.  They 
are  the  most  warlike  too,  but  these  young  people 
are  devoid  of  fear.  I  had  a  most  interesting  chat 
with  the  young  wife, — long  enough  to  satisfy  my- 
self, that  she  little  knows  what  she  is  undertaking. 
They  are  truly  in  earnest  in  their  work,  but  have 
little  realization  of  the  desolation  and  loneliness, 
they  are  about  to  enter.  It  is  said,  if  the  Indians 
are  friendly,  they  nearly  live  with  the  whites, — 
come  in  crowds  into  one's  kitchen,  and  sit  on  the 
floor  for  hours,  saying  nothing, — only  watching. 
If  the  lady  of  the  house  goes  into  any  other  room, 
they  go  along,  and  at  any  and  all  hours  of  the  day, 
Indian  faces  may  be  seen,  pressed  close  to  the  win- 
dow pane,  watching  every  movement.  The  Indians 
here  are  more  easily  taught,  than  the  ordinary  In- 
dians of  our  Territories  and  Western  States.  They 
claim  they  are  of  Mongolian  descent,  and  are  more 
intelligent.  If  these  two  young  missionaries  are 
favorites,  in  the  new  home  to  which  they  go,  they 
say,  the  Indians  will,  in  time,  make  a  great  feast  for 
the  newcomers,  and  with  fitting  ceremonies,  adopt 
them  into  their  tribe,  and  give  them  Indian  names. 
While  I  chatted  with  brave  Mrs.  W.,  I  found  she 
was  quite  unprepared,  for  the  common  ordinary 
aches  and  pains,  which  mortals  are  heirs  to,  and  did 
not  fully  appreciate  the  ninety  miles  of  space,  be- 
tween her  and  any  doctor ;  so  I  came  into  my  room, 

223 


searched  through  my  bag,  and  could  only  find 
Jamaica  Ginger  to  offer  her,  which  she  most  joy- 
ously accepted.  Such  faith  and  self-sacrifice,  as 
these  people  exhibit,  such  forgetfulness  of  pleasure 
and  comforts,  of  home  and  family,  in  the  service  of 
the  Master,  makes  one  stand  still,  and  wonder  in 
silence,  at  the  strength  which  such  faith  can  bring, 
and  at  the  bright  cheerful  heart,  so  full  of  hope  and 
pleasure,  even  knowing  the  hardships.  I  know  the 
discipline  of  pain,  and  I  know  one  can  accept  the 
trials  which  come ;  but  to  absolutely  go  out  into 
a  nest  of  trouble  and  discouragements,  to  settle 
down  in  the  midst  of  distresses,  and  keep  cheerful 
and  happy  in  hard  work,  expresses  a  strength  of 
character,  I  am  utterly  unable  to  appreciate. 

While  we  chatted,  a  lady  from  Montana  joined 
in  the  conversation,  and  she  was  rich  in  experiences 
with  the  Indians  of  Montana.  She  told  us  of  the 
lawless  times  they  used  to  have,  before  justice  had 
any  voice  in  the  administration  of  affairs,  when  the 
sheriff  was  the  head  of  a  band  of  robbers  and 
thieves,  all  being  road  agents.  Murder  and  house- 
breaking were  common  everyday  affairs,  and  there 
was  no  redress, — one  lost  everything, — life  was 
demanded  at  a  moment's  notice,  and  no  voice  was 
raised  in  complaint,  for  the  safety  of  the  people,  for 
some  time.  Finally,  right  was  might,  and  the  down- 
trodden sufferers  joined  in  bands,  called  "Vigil- 
antes," and  hung  every  out-law  they  could  find,  at 
a  moment's  warning.     At  last,  they  brought  some 

224 


out-laws  to  trial.  This  lady's  cousin  was  just 
stepping  into  a  stage,  in  this  little  settlement,  which 
was  to  carry  him  to  his  home,  when  the  people 
came,  to  beg  him  to  stay  and  try  their  case,  as  the 
road-agents  and  sheriff  had  bought  up  all  the  law- 
yers in  town  ;  and  this  gentleman  was  a  judge. 
He  yielded,  but  there  was  no  house  or  place  for  the 
Court  room.  Taking  a  farm  wagon,  and  calling 
jurors,  he  stood  up  in  the  wagon  and  "  held 
court."  It  was  simply  and  quickly  done.  The 
man  under  arrest  was  a  fine  looking  fellow,  but 
a  villain.  He  had  murdered  any  number  of  inno- 
cent people,  and  his  favorite  method  was  to 
catch  them  on  some  high-way,  bind  them  to  trees, 
and  then,  as  recreation  between  his  courses  at 
lunch,  or  between  drinks,  he  would  shoot  at  them, 
and  watch  and  ridicule  their  agony.  He  would 
riddle  his  victims  with  bullets,  which  usually 
resulted  in  their  deaths,  but  if  not,  he  would  dis- 
patch them  more  brutally.  This  young  man  was 
tried  and  sentenced,  to  be  hanged  in  an  hour.  In  a 
most  pathetic  manner,  he  begged  for  more  time,  that 
he  might  write  last  letters  to  friends  ;  and  this  lady 
said  that  her  cousin  felt  sympathy  for  the  fellow,  and 
could  hardly  bear  to  be  so  cruel,  but  he  knew  that 
if  he  yielded  one  moment,  the  road-agents  would 
rally  and  free  their  companion.  One  man  in  the 
crowd  reminded  the  masses,  of  the  little  mercy  ever 
shown  by  the  prisoner,  to  any  of  his  prisoners,  and 
at  once  the  verdict  was  changed  to  immediate  execu- 

225 


Hon.  Of  course  this  is  only  an  incident,  in  the  his- 
tory of  our  Western  States,  in  the  early  years  of 
their  formation.  This  lady  says,  in  Montana  now, 
and  especially  in  Helena,  whenever  any  robbery  is 
committed,  or  any  threatened  assassination,  boards 
are  stuck  up  all  over  Helena,  and  all  the  newspapers 
print  a  mystical  signal.  It  is  "  3-7-77," — and  under 
this  number,  is  always  a  skull  and  bones.  No  out- 
law ever  stands  upon  the  order  of  his  going,  but  de- 
parts at  once,  when  this  sign  appears.  It  means, — 
as  it  counts, — *'  In  twenty-four  hours,  you  will  be 
skull  and  bones."  She  said  she  saw  the  sign,  only 
two  years  ago,  in  Helena.  She  also  amused  us,  by 
telling  of  the  Indians'  love  for  dress,  and  the  queer 
fancies  the  men  take  for  peculiar  articles.  Sun-um- 
brellas are  their  delight.  She  saw  an  Indian,  not 
long  ago,  in  buckskin  trousers,  a  bright  red  blanket, 
his  hair  braided,  and  amply  hung  with  rattlesnake 
rattles,  and  over  his  head  he  carried,  with  great  sat- 
isfaction, a  pink  cotton  umbrella,  A  Sioux  Indian 
went  to  visit  a  friend  of  hers,  and  having  to  ford  a 
stream,  the  Indian  took  off  his  scanty  supply  of 
clothes,  and  hanging  them  on  his  arm,  waded  across. 
Instead  of  dressing  again  on  the  other  bank,  he  ap- 
proached the  tents,  with  his  clothing  on  his  arm, 
and  a  blue-checked  sunshade  over  his  head  ! 

While  I  was  writing  this  journal,  Mrs.  S.  came  to 
my  cabin  door,  to  ask  what  I  thought  about  getting 
a  cow  for  the  missionaries.  It  seems  there  are  no 
cows  near  Chilcat, — no  milk  is  anywhere  to  be  had, 

226 


and  they  cannot  get  butter  or  any  fresh  meat. 
Eggs  are  one  dollar  a  dozen,  and  scarce  and  hard  to 
get.  A  cow  could  be  brought  here,  perhaps,  etc. 
I  put  on  my  cap  and  went  out  on  deck,  to  see  what 
Jamie  thought  of  such  a  plan,  what  he  would  give 
towards  it,  but  he  did  not  encourage  it  much, — in 
fact,  I  found  there  was  much  opposition  to  mission- 
aries, as  many  in  these  parts  have  been  said  to  be 
scoundrels  and  scamps,  feathering  their  own  nest, 
under  the  cloak  of  religion.  But,  despite  the  antip- 
athy to  missionaries,  the  fact  stood  unchanged,  and 
the  women  on  board  appreciated  the  discomforts 
and  deprivations,  the  young  wife  had  before  her, 
and  longed  to  ease  them  a  little,  at  least.  The  fact 
that  she  was  a  missionary  was  forgotten,  in  the  sym- 
pathy of  one  woman's  heart  for  another.  But  the 
little  discouragements  disheartened  us,  and  we  re- 
luctantly gave  it  up.  About  half  past  two  o'clock, 
I  was  resting  in  my  "  tiny  boudoir,"  when  Mrs.  S. 
came  again,  to  ask  me  to  come  and  wave  the  mis- 
sionaries off,  as  they  were  to  go  ashore  then.  I 
went  out,  but  there  was  the  usual  delay,  and  while 
we  waited,  I  chatted  with  a  gentlemen  from  Lincoln, 
Nebraska.  I  told  him  of  the  desire  that  we  had 
and  he  spoke  so  encouragingly,  that  I  flew  to  Mrs, 
S.  and  suggested  that  we  do,  in  those  few  minutes, 
all  we  could.  In  fifteen  minutes,  we  had  seen  a 
dozen  or  more  people  ;  all  gave,  and  in  less  than  half 
an  hour,  Mrs.  S.  stood  on  deck,  with  fifty  dollars  in 
gold  in  her  hand,  for  the  little  wife.     She  called  her 

227 


into  the  saloon,  and  gave  it  to  her ;  and  for  the  first 
time,  the  tears  came,  and  the  poor  woman  wept. 
It  was  awfully  pathetic,  and  we  cried  too.  When 
she  opened  the  envelope  and  saw  the  shining  gold, 
she  was  overpowered  and  could  hardly  speak.  The 
cow  is  to  be  called  Mexico,  at  our  request.  Several 
heard  of  it  later,  and  some  came  to  me  with  their 
donations,  and  we  sent  more  to  her  by  the  Captain. 
It  seemed  only  right,  to  do  a  little  for  her,  when  we 
were  all  out  on  a  pleasure  trip. 

Jamie  went  on  shore,  and  into  the  Cannery,  with 
Commander  C.  of  the  Navy,  and  had  quite  an  inter- 
esting time. 

After  dinner  little  groups  gathered  in  "our 
corner,"  and  we  had  a  right  merry  time.  At  nine 
o'clock,  the  sun  was  so  high  in  the  heavens,  that 
Jamie  took  a  photograph  of  us  all ;  but  we  were 
laughing  so  heartily,  I  fear  the  photograph  will  not 
be  good.  The  sun  was  blinding  on  the  water  then. 
About  half  past  nine,  the  Mexico  steamed  from  Chil- 
cat  to  Pyramid  Bay,  to  another  Cannery,  to  discharge 
freight,  and  take  on  more  canned  salmon.  Pyramid 
Bay  takes  its  name  from  an  island,  just  off  shore, 
formed  entirely  of  rocks,  and  in  the  form  of  a  pointed 
pyramid,  and  it  is  interesting,  because  it  is  the  ter- 
minal moraine  of  a  once  powerful  glacier. 

We  all  remained  on  deck,  guessing  proverbs,  and 
having  much  merriment,  until  after  ten  o'clock,  then 
we  went  down  to  supper.  After  supper  Miss  C, 
who  has  a  glorious  voice,  sang  for  us,  and  we  had 

228 


some  other  good  music,  until  half  past  eleven,  when 
we  made  ourselves  go  to  our  room,  but  it  seemed 
cruel  and  wicked,  to  go  to  sleep,  and  leave  the 
twilight.  It  was  light  at  twelve  o'clock — mid-night 
— and  the  sky  was  blue,  the  clouds  were  rose-colored 
and  purple,  and  it  was  heavenly !  These  northern 
nights  are  worth  the  journey  to  see,  and  to  exper- 
ience the  queer  sensations  they  produce.  I  felt  as  if 
I  was  going  to  bed  at  five  o'clock,  and  yet,  my  tired 
bones  warned  me,  it  was  bedtime. 

What  a  lovely  trip  this  is  !  At  first  one  has  much 
to  become  accustomed  to,  discomfort,  inconvenience 
and  cramped  quarters ;  and  the  first  few  days  seem 
long.  Then,  as  soon  as  the  rough  edges  wear  off, 
and  one  gets  settled  and  learns  to  manage,  a  charm 
and  fascination  comes  over  one,  and  you  float  along 
from  day  to  day,  and  wish  the  voyage  was  ten  times 
as  long ;  and  each  day  we  long  to  stretch,  to  its  utmost 
limit.     It  is  glorious,  such  a  blissful  rest ! 

SATURDAY,  JULY  25TH. 

'T^HESE  long  days  upset  every  one,  and  make 
regular  hours  a  dream  of  the  past,  a  remnant 
of  the  Dark  Ages.  Last  night,  no  one  wanted  to  go 
to  bed,  and  it  was  not  strange,  for  it  was  quite  bright 
at  twelve  o'clock,  at  mid-night.  Some  people  sat 
up,  hoping  to  see  the  Northern  Lights ;  but  there 
were  none  to  be  seen. 

Nothing  to  chronicle  to-day,  so  far.  We  spent  the 
morning  at  Pyramid    Bay,  anchored,  loading  with 

239 


canned  salmon.  At  noon,  we  moved  back  to  Chilcat, 
but  we  hope  to  leave  here,  in  a  couple  of  hours  now. 
I  have  "cleaned  house"  this  morning,  that  is, 
straightened  and  arranged  my  room,  as  order  is  an 
absolute  necessity,  and  I  have  been  writing  also, 
between  chats  with  passing  people.  We  have  been 
watching  the  Indians  in  their  canoes,  which  have 
hovered  about  the  ship  all  the  morning.  A  strong 
young  Indian,  with  his  squaw  and  pappoose,  and 
three  other  tiny  tots,  paddled  out  to  the  ship,  to  try 
and  sell  some  things.  We  had  fun  with  him,  offer- 
ing to  buy  the  pappoose,  and  he  finally  said  he  would 
sell  it,  for  ten  dollars.  It  is  interesting  to  watch 
these  ^to^X^y  from  a  distance ;  they  are  often  good- 
natured  and  jolly,  and  what  little  English  they  can 
speak,  they  use  in  such  an  original  choppy  way,  but 
they  are  too  dirty,  to  have  a  nearer  acquaintance  safe 
or  pleasant. 

This  morning,  one  of  the  men  on  the  ship,  went 
ashore  with  his  gun,  and  a  little  while  ago,  he  brought 
to  show  us,  a  bald-headed  eagle,  which  he  had  shot. 
It  was  a  fine  fellow,  and  measured  six  feet  from  tip 
to  tip  of  his  wings.  His  great  white  head  and  claws 
were  large  in  proportion,  and  it  was  an  interesting 
sight. 

It  is  delightful  to  see  the  improvement  in  Jamie's 
health.  He  has  gained  hourly  of  late,  eats  like  a 
starved  child,  and  is  as  full  of  fun  as  possible.  The 
prediction  about  "our  table  "  in  the  dining-room, 
is  true,  and  we  have  the  jolliest  times  imaginable. 

230 


We  steamed  over  to  Chilcat  about  noon,  and 
stayed  there  until  about  four  o'clock.  James  went 
ashore  yesterday,  but  not  again  to-day.  While  at 
Chilcat  Mrs.  S.  came  to  me,  with  a  dish  of  the  most 
beautiful  strawberries  I  have  ever  seen.  Mrs.  W., 
the  missionary,  had  sent  them  over  to  the  ship,  to 
the  ladies  who  had  given  her  the  cow ;  they  were 
picked  in  the  meadows  and  were  wild  strawberries, 
and  were  magnificent,  and  so  large,  with  stout  stems 
and  a  good  flavor.  Strawberries  grow  marvelously 
in  this  country,  as  do  all  things :  ferns  are  colossal, 
mosses  are  glorious,  wild  flowers  are  plenty  in  cer- 
tain locations.  I  saw  seven  strawberries  on  one 
stem,  the  other  night,  and  the  stem  was  as  large  as 
a  pipe  stem.     The  leaves  were  equally  large. 

After  dinner  we  all  scrambled  on  deck,  to  see  the 
Davidson  Glacier,  as  we  passed  it.  It  is  a  tremend- 
ous great  ice  river,  three  miles  across  its  front,  and 
for  miles  and  miles,  it  covers  the  country.  The 
crevices  were  many  and  deep,  giving]  a  dark  blue, 
and  oftentimes  a  green  color  to  the  ice.  It  was 
most  interesting,  but  seemed  only  grand  in  size, 
when  we  turned  to  see  ten  pure  white  ones,  nestled 
close  in  the  mountain's  side ;  then  we  felt  we  had 
seen  glaciers  in  their  finest  form,  and  they  were  the 
most  beautiful  pictures  imaginable. 

The  scenery,  from  Chilcat  to  Sitka,  is  the  most 
magnificent  sight,  one  can  ever  hope  to  see,  in  this 
world.  After  leaving  Chilcat,  we  stood  for  hours  on 
the  hurricane  deck,  watching  the  grandeur.     It  was 

231 


sublime,  ideal,  such  a  sight  as  one  wishes  to  hold 
forever  in  the  memory.  The  mountains  rose  on 
each  side  of  us,  in  great  ranges,  so  high  they  seemed 
to  touch  the  sky.  Their  base  and  sides  were  gray 
and  dark,  but  the  ragged  peaks,  in  every  conceivable 
effect,  from  round  to  pointed,  ragged  and  sharp  and 
blunt  as  well,  were  each  and  all  covered  thickly  with 
pure  white  snow,  which  crept  down  to  the  dark 
sides  in  great  rivers  of  white.  The  spaces  between 
the  mountains  were  full  of  great  shining  glaciers, 
icy  and  white ;  and  all  was  in  marked  contrast  to  the 
dark  angry  waters,  and  the  heavy  rain  clouds  in  the 
sky  above  us.  We  stood  in  admiring  silence,  until 
the  rain  drops  fell  upon  us,  and  then  went  below, 
with  the  picture  indelibly  printed  upon  our  minds, 
for  it  was  a  scene  of  awful  grandeur,  magnificent 
and  inspiring. 

SUNDAY,  JULY  26tH. 

"^r  EVER  was  scenery  more  daintily  picturesque 
and  beautiful,  than  this  morning.  Through 
narrow  passages,  close  to  thickly  wooded  shores,  in 
and  out,  between  most  exquisite  little  islands  of  rocks 
and  trees,  into  enclosed  lakes,  for  which  there 
seemed  no  opening  nor  outlet, — until  a  gateway  sud- 
denly presented  itself  to  us,  as  our  bow  was  almost 
on  shore, — the  good  Old  Mexico  has  carried  us  on, 
and  we  became  as  enthusiastic,  over  the  delicate  out- 
lines and  profusion  of  beautiful  islands,  as  we  were 
last  night,  over  the  solemn  grandeur  of  the  great 

232 


gray  monarchs,  with  their  snow  covering  and  glacial 
deposits.  The  entire  morning  was  one  long  excla- 
mation of  "  Oh,  how  beautiful !  "  Islands,  like  little 
buttons,  stood  side  by  side,  with  great  green  emerald 
isles,  all  reproduced  in  the  quiet  water,  so  mirror- 
like in  its  reflection.  Ducks  were  swimming  on  the 
surface,  and  at  our  approach,  with  a  dive  and  a  long 
streak  of  ruffled  water  behind  them,  they  would  dis- 
appear, only  to  rise  up  serenely,  a  half  minute  later, 
and  with  a  shrill  call,  fly  off  to  the  land.  Porpoises, 
too,  were  waltzing  along,  like  pin-wheels,  and  racing 
with  us.  Finally  a  ring  from  the  Captain  on  his 
bridge,  quieted  the  engine;  the  good  old  ship's  speed 
was  lessened,  and  we  seemed  to  float  forward  in  si- 
lence. Somebody  said,  ''This  must  be  White  Stone 
Narrows,  the  most  dangerous  pass  on  the  trip,"  and 
then  every  one  was  on  the  qui  vive,  to  see  the 
ship  pass  the  danger  point,  and  enthusuastic  over 
the  marvelous  dexterity,  with  which  the  Captain 
and  his  assistants,  handled  the  big  ship.  Two  buoys 
were  placed,  about  two  boats*  length  apart.  We  had 
to  pass  one  on  one  side,  and  the  other  on  the  other, 
making  a  letter  S,  and  we  clung  so  close  to  one 
buoy,  caressing  it  the  entire  length  of  our  ship,  that 
somebody  suggested  the  conundrum,  coined  on  the 
spot,  "Why  was  \.\i^ Mexico  exceedingly  improper? 
Because  she  had  been  seen  hugging  a  buoy  !  "  As  we 
steamed  out  of  these  Narrows,  where  the  great  rocks 
and  reefs  stood  out  boldly,  on  each  side  of  us,  re 
minding  one  of  the  St.  Lawrence  Rapids,  we  sud- 

233 


denly  rounded  a  point  and  saw,  in  the  distance, 
Sitka,  the  Capital  City  of  Alaska. 

As  pretty  a  picture  as  one  cares  ever  to  see,  is 
this  little  town,  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  great  Mt. 
Verstoria, — the  sides  and  top  so  green  and  beautiful, 
— beside  and  behind  which  are  numberless  moun- 
tains of  pure  snow  ;  and  opposite  the  little  city 
stands,  as  sentinel,  the  extinct  volcano,  Edgecombe, 
with  its  great  open  cup  full  of  snow.  Islands  with- 
out number,  in  picturesque  confusion,  stand  between 
Sitka  and  the  open  ocean,  and  make  an  island  bar- 
ricade, like  the  links  in  a  chain.  As  we  approached 
Sitka,  going  beyond  and  in  and  out,  among  these 
islands,  threading  our  way  with  cautious  care,  we 
were  spell-bound,  by  the  beautiful  picture,  this  iso- 
lated little  city  presents.  The  ancient  Russian 
Castle,  now  in  such  picturesque  ruins,  stands  out  in 
bold  relief,  against  the  green  Mt.  Verstoria  and  looks 
like  the  haunted  house,  it  is  said  to  be.  It  was  once 
the  residence  of  all  Russian  Governors,  who  were 
men  of  rank  and  title,  and  lived  here  in  luxury  and 
state,  bringing  their  Court  and  state  furnishings 
from  Russia ;  and  the  stories  told  of  their  grandeur, 
of  their  Court,  and  doings,  make  one  believe  in  the 
past  greatness  of  Sitka,  but  also  make  one  see  how 
truly /^j/  is  that  greatness. 

Once  upon  a  time,  Sitka  had  fine  industries.  A 
marvelous  foundry  here,  was  the  one  that  fashioned 
all  the  bells,  for  the  missions  in  Southern  California, 
and  sent  its  work  to  many  large  cities.     Slowly,  and 

234 


by  the  law  which  governs  the  rise  and  fall  of  nations, 
Sitka  began  to  lose  power  and  people ;  and  in  1867, 
when  America  negotiated  with  Russia,  and  pur- 
chased Alaska,  as  a  territory,  paying  **  at  the  rate  of 
two  cents  per  acre,"  the  legends  of  Russian  glory, 
became  the  property  of  the  American  people. 
Sitka  is  the  brightest  little  place  imaginable,  and  it 
is  hard  to  realize,  that  it  is  so  remote  from  all  civili- 
zation. 

When  we  steamed  into  the  harbor,  between  the 
town  and  the  islands,  we  were  impressed  by  the 
picturesqueness  of  this  little  city.  In  contrast  to 
the  great  Russian  Castle,  in  its  square  box-like 
architecture  and  remnants  of  brown  paint,  its  brok- 
en windows  and  tumbled-down  ruined  appearance — 
stood  the  Greek  Church,  in  about  the  centre  of  the 
town.  Its  spire  is  bulging,  like  beads  on  a  string, 
set  on  end,  an  oblong  one,  then  a  round  one,  and 
surmounted  by  a  golden  Greek  Cross.  Behind  this 
spire  is  a  dome  of  ample  proportions,  and  dome  and 
spire  are  painted  a  light  green, — not  a  bit  of  yellow 
in  the  green — pale  but  distinctly  green.  The  rest  of 
the  building  is  devoid  of  paint ;  or  the  incessant 
rains,  which  visit  Sitka,  may  have  washed  away 
the  less  powerful  colors.  An  old  tradition  says, 
that  whenever  a  ship  is  in  sight,  the  ravens  always 
gather  on  the  gilded  cross,  on  the  spire  of  the  Greek 
Church  ;  and  as  we  came  nearer  to  the  town,  a 
couple  of  great  black  ravens  flew  towards  the  cross. 
Whether  they  really  knew  their  lesson  and  direc- 

235 


tions,  and  were  going  to  perch  on  that  cross,  is 
a  question  ;  only  knowing  the  tradition,  their  flight 
seemed  a  coincidence.  Barracks,  a  Court  house, 
innumerable  houses  low  and  small,  all  curving  along 
a  cove  of  the  sea,  form  the  little  city. 

The  Mexico  reached  Sitka  at  eleven  o'clock ;  but 
we  were  obliged  to  anchor  off  shore,  as  the  steamer 
QueeUj  the  excursion  boat,  had  come,  out  of  her 
regular  order  and  time,  into  Sitka  this  morning,  and 
occupied  the  dock-room.  A  disgusted  set  of  pas- 
sengers we  were ;  for  the  Queen  swallows  up  at 
every  port,  all  the  choicest  of  curios,  and  we  had 
rejoiced  that  we  were  to  reach  there  first.  The 
Queen  only  remained  five  or  six  hours  at  Sitka,  how- 
ever, and  was  to  move  at  2  P.  M.  by  Sitka  time, 
three  o'clock  by  our  watches,  as  Sitka  time  is  one 
hour  earlier,  than  we  are  on  shipboard.  We  could 
not  wait,  however,  until  that  hour  to  go  ashore,  so 
small  boats  were  put  off,  and  we  went  about  one 
o'clock,  fifteen  at  a  time. 

As  we  landed  at  the  dock,  we  were  charmed  at 
the  outset,  by  the  aspect  of  things.  Before  us,  was 
a  large  green  parade  ground,  on  one  side  of  which 
stood  the  Government  Buildings,  the  long  stairway 
leading  to  the  lofty  Castle,  and  some  trees.  Under 
the  trees,  along  the  wharf,  in  front  of  the  buildings, 
sitting  closely  together  in  rows,  were  the  Indian 
women  with  their  wares,  all  of  their  own  make. 
Baskets  of  every  conceivable  design  and  color,  silver 
rings   and  bangles,   wooden    totem    poles,    basket 

236 


bottles,  etc.,  etc.,  and  everything  in  the  most  pictur- 
esque confusion.  The  coloring  of  their  dresses, 
blankets,  and  head-handkerchiefs,  their  dark  yellow- 
skins,  contrasting  strangely  with  their  dozens  of 
silver  bangles  and  numberless  rings,  and  the  little 
children  in  brilliant  colors,  all  presented  a  picture 
of  wonderful  combinations.  It  was  interesting  to 
walk  along,  and  look  at  the  rows  of  dark-skinned 
women,  to  see  the  different  degrees  of  intelligence, 
and  marks  of  industry,  and  their  adroit  manner  of 
displaying  their  things.  Any  Indian  woman,  or 
every  ore,  I  should  say,  can  speak  enough  English 
to  sell ;  they  can  all  say,  **  two  bits,'*  or  four,  or  six, 
as  the  price  may  be,  and  some  are  so  jolly  about 
it,  and  hold  up  their  fingers  to  denote  the  price, 
thus  displaying  the  silver  bedecked  arms  and  hands. 
They  never  undersell  each  other,  and  nothing 
makes  them  more  angry  than  to  have  people  offer 
them  less  than  they  ask,  and  yet  bargains  are  some- 
times gained  by  perseverance.  James  and  I  wan- 
dered along  the  row  of  Indians,  really  thoroughly 
interested  in  them  and  their  wares,  and  also  in 
watching  the  passengers  from  the  Queen,  who  were 
strolling  along  as  we  were,  when  we  suddenly  looked 

up   and  stood   face  to  face  with  Mrs.  V —  N , 

of  Brooklyn.  We  have  never  been  more  than  bow- 
ing acquaintances,  but  to  meet  any  one  from  home, 
in  such  a  far-away  place  as  Alaska,  makes  one  feel 
very  friendly  indeed,  and  we  greeted  each  other  in 
the  most  enthusiastic  manner.    After  a  little,  James 

237 


and  I  grew  interested  in  looking  at  trifling  souvenirs 
of  Sitka,  and  we  wandered  from  one  little  group  of 
Indians  to  another.  Then  we  remembered  our  let- 
ter to  Mrs.  H.  of  Sitka,  which  a  friend  in  Chicago 
had  given  us,  and  we  found  Mrs.  H.  lived  in  an 
entire  house,  all  to  herself,  which  is  a  mark  of  supe- 
riority in  Sitka,  as  most  of  the  people  live  in  rooms 
over  stores,  or  in  cabins, — even  the  officers  and  their 
wives.  We  found  the  house  without  difficulty,  and 
were  received  by  a  little  lady,  in  a  very  pretty  room, 
full  of  the  most  curious  of  curios.  Her  welcome 
was  most  cordial,  but  as  we  soon  found  she  had  two 
cousins  on  the  Queetij  who  were  to  sail  away  in  a  very 
short  time,  and  who  were  then  visiting  her,  James 
and  I  left  for  a  while,  and  went  to  the  Greek  Church. 
This  church  is  still  maintained  by  the  Russians, 
and  although  there  are  but  few  full-blooded  Rus- 
sians now  in  Sitka,  many  of  the  people  attend  that 
church.  (The  other  chapel  is  Presbyterian.)  We 
entered  the  front  door,  were  received  by  a  young 
man,  who  politely  requested  each  to  deposit  fifty 
cents  in  a  contribution  box  at  hand,  which  is  used 
for  the  attendants  on  "Tourists*  days,"  etc.  We 
then  entered  the  church  proper,  which  is  small  in 
size,  but  large  in  rich  possessions.  No  man  or 
woman  ever  sits  during  a  Russian  service,  so  there 
are  no  pews  or  seats  anywhere  visible.  Two  huge 
white  columns  supported  the  dome,  and  made  a  fit- 
ting frame  for  the  beautiful  altar  before  us.  With 
three  or  four  steps  leading  to  it,  was  a  kind  of  Rere- 

238 


dos,  or  screen,  formed  of  beautiful  paintings,  the 
middle  part  having  golden-bronze  gates  full  of  lovely- 
pictures,  four  of  which  were  set  in  ovals  and  repre- 
sented the  four  Evangelists, — the  two  middle  ones 
were  to  represent  the  Annunciation.  There  were 
three  in  each  door,  and  one  peculiar  feature  and  effect 
was  produced  by  a  silver  mantle  (of  genuine  ore)^over 
each  picture.  The  heads  and  hands  of  the  figures 
were  uncovered,  but  all  the  rest  was  covered  by  exact 
representations  of  the  paintings  underneath,  but 
made  of  pure  silver,  and  all  the  shades  and  folds 
were  most  carefully  wrought.  No  idea  can  be  ob- 
tained from  a  word  picture,  of  the  singularly  unique 
and  beautiful  effect  this  produced.  On  each  side  of 
this  door  were  similar  paintings,  but  almost  life-size, 
one  of  the  Virgin  and  Child,  the  other  of  Jesus 
Christ,  and  both  were  covered  with  a  full-length 
silver  covering.  St.  Michael,  being  the  Patron 
Saint,  was  represented  twice,  once  in  a  gorgeous 
gold  covering.  Three  of  these  paintings  in  panels 
were  on  each  side  of  the  middle  door,  four  with 
their  glorious  draperies,  and  two  without,  but  all 
were  really  marvelous  works  of  art.  Before  these 
paintings  stood  and  hung  beautifully  wrought  Rus- 
sian silver  lamps,  and  all  produced  a  grand  effect, 
and  were  so  decidedly  foreign  to  anything  we  ex- 
pected to  see,  in  such  isolation.  On  each  side  of  the 
main  altar  were  smaller  sanctuaries,  with  rare  gems 
in  beautiful  paintings,  sent  by  royal  Russians,  one 
conspicuous  for  its  frame  of  rare  and  precious  stones. 

239 


In  the  left  hand  chapel  is  a  head  of  Mother  and 
Child,  said  to  have  been  painted  by  Raphael, — it  is 
exquisite.  The  tenderness  in  the  Mother's  face, 
the  beauty  of  the  eyes,  reminds  one  forcibly  of  the 
Sistine  Madonna,  and  lingers  long  in  mind  and 
memory.  This  gem  has  also  a  silver  covering,  most 
curiously  fashioned,  but  exquisite, — head-drapery 
and  shoulder  covering  of  silver,  with  gold  wrought 
in,  and  a  huge  golden  halo.  It  is  the  loveliest  thing 
of  its  kind  that  we  have  ever  seen.  There  are  also 
many  costly  works  of  art  and  ivory  carvings  several 
hundred  years  old. 

Behind  the  golden  gate  in  the  centre,  we  were 
told,  was  the  "  Holy  of  Holies,"  the  most  sacred 
spot  to  all  Russian  men,  but  between  those  portals 
no  woman  is  allowed  to  enter.  The  usher  kindly 
opened  the  doors,  which  are  always  thrown  open 
at  service,  and  allowed  us  to  peep  in, — just  a  look  at 
the  Holy  Place.  It  was  a  room  with  altars  and  ac- 
companying fixtures,  but  brilliantly  glorious  in  silver 
and  golden  laces  and  decorations,  more  beautiful 
than  can  be  described.  Vestments  of  the  priests 
were  to  be  seen,  of  gold  and  silver  cloth,  with  tapes- 
try colors  woven  in  such  gorgeous  glory,  that  it 
seemed  cruel  to  have  it  all  so  hidden  from  the  world. 
A  head-piece,  worn  at  service  by  the  Russian  Priest, 
was  one  mass  of  jewels ;  one  huge  emerald  cut  in  the 
shape  of  a  cross,  set  in  the  front,  was  grand  and 
magnificent.  This  little  church  is  rich  beyond  com- 
pare, in  glorious  Russian  richness,  and  is  so  strange 

240 


and  out  of  place  in  its  setting,  for  Sitka  seems  quite 
unequal  to  such  grandeur  and  beauty. 

When  a  couple  are  married  in  the  Greek  Church 
in  Sitka,  they  come  to  the  church  door  and  knock, 
and  the  door  being  opened  by  the  priest,  the  groom 
makes  his  wish  known.  Approaching  a  little  raised 
platform  in  the  centre  of  the  Church,  the  bride  and 
groom  stand  upon  it,  sometimes  for  an  hour  or  more, 
all  the  time  the  bride  wearing  upon  her  head  a  beau- 
tiful crown.  If  the  crown  is  too  big,  as  often  hap- 
pens, the  best  man  is  obliged  to  hold  it  over  the 
bride's  head.  The  service  is  long  and  tiresome ;  at 
its  finish,  the  groom  approaches  the  figure  of  Jesus 
Christ,  touching  the  toe  with  his  lips,  and  the  bride 
approaches  the  Mother  and  Child. 

After  dreaming  in  silence  a  little  while,  in  a  corner 
of  the  Church,  and  allowing  our  thoughts  to  run 
riot  and  revel  in  the  ages  past,  when  happy  and  sad 
Russian  men  and  maidens  attended  this  choicest 
chapel,  Jamie  and  I  wandered  out  again,  into  the 
crooked  little  streets,  with  the  log-huts  and  cabins, 
the  houses  of  more  modern  comers,  and  the  relics  of 
Russian  Architecture. 

Hearing  the  whistle,  which  announced  the  Queen's 
departure,  I  went  again  to  see  Mrs.  H.  while  Jamie 
returned  to  the  ship,  and  when  I  left  her  an  hour 
later,  she  insisted  that  we  should  call  for  her  after 
dinner,  and  she  would  take  us  through  the  Indian 
quarters,  or  the  Rancherie,  as  it  is  called.  About 
six  o'clock,  therefore,  we  went  again  to  the  house, 

241 


taking  a  few  friends  with  us,  and  we  all  went  to  the 
Siwash,  or  Indian  settlement.  It  is  situated  right 
on  the  water's  edge ;  the  houses  are  of  moderate  size 
and  appearance,  and  are  built  in  rows,  and  quite 
closely  together.  We  were  at  once  interested  and 
curious  about  the  numbering  of  the  houses,  and 
questioned  everybody,  to  know  why  one  house  was 
numbered  over  the  door,  in  huge  figures  "  icx),"  the 
next  house  '*  200,"  the  next  "  300,"  and  so  on.  Mr. 
H.  explained  it  to  us  and  it  is  a  most  curious  reason. 
The  numbers  increase  one  hundred  each  time,  until 
one  thousand  is  reached,  then  they  jump  one  hun- 
dred each  time,  also,  and  the  why  and  wherefore  is 
just  this.  A  census  was  taken  some  time  ago,  and  it 
was  found  that  often  in  one  house  of  one  rootn,  ten 
families  live,  with  the  multitude  of  children  always 
accompanying.  They  allow  ten  numbers  to  each 
household,  or  to  each  family  under  one  roof,  and 
registered  them  "  A,  the  father,  B,  the  mother," 
without  recording  their  names,  and  allowed  for  eight 
children  in  each  family.  One  hundred  numbers 
were  therefore  allotted  to  one  mansion !  No  one, 
without  seeing,  can  form  any  idea  of  the  swarms  of 
human  beings  living  in  cramped  and  crowded  quar- 
ters, such  as  we  saw  in  this  Siwash  village.  Mrs. 
H.  took  us  into  many  houses,  which  were  all  built 
alike.  A  square  of  stones  and  ashes,  in  the  centre 
of  the  only  room,  forms  the  rallying  point,  around 
which  all  gather.  There  is  usually  a  fire  burning, 
and  crouching  figures,  rolled  in  blankets,  about  it. 

243 


The  roof  is  always  a  little  open,  and  much  smoked 
and  blackened,  as  the  smoke  and  soot  rise  and  cling 
to  it.  Fish,  split  open  and  drying,  are  always  hang- 
ing from  the  beams,  and  add  another  perfume  to  the 
well-scented  air.  Around  this  central  square  is 
usually  a  raised  platform,  on  which  are  all  the  wear- 
ing apparel  and  property  of  the  different  families. 
No  curtain  divides  one  apartment  from  another,  no 
partition  or  division  of  any  kind,  but  all  are  huddled 
in  together,  like  sardines,  and  delicacy  of  feeling  or 
modesty,  in  the  slightest  degree,  is  never  visible  nor 
thought  of.  The  fathers  and  mothers  and  the  chil- 
dren live  together  like  a  cat  and  her  kittens,  with 
just  about  as  much  care  for  personal  and  household 
cleanliness,  as  a  feline  animal  would  have.  Of  course^ 
there  are  exceptions  in  every  case,  and  marked  ex- 
ceptions, especially  where  civilized  ways  and  means 
have  been  shown  these  people,  but  I  am  now  speak- 
ing of  the  Siwash  people,  in  their  natural  and  un- 
changed ways  of  living.  Rude,  rough  bedsteads, 
without  pillow  or  mattress,  are  sometimes  seen,  but 
they  are  not  large  enough  for  all  the  family,  and 
most  of  them  sleep  on  the  floor.  We  saw  a  girl  of 
fourteen — a  mother  then,  with  her  tiny  babe  in  her 
arms — and  it  was  a  sad  sight.  A  funny  sign  over 
the  door  of  one  house,  amused  us  all  immensely — it 
was  this :  "  Elisha  Ltahin,  Head  of  a  large  Family 
of  Orthodox  Christians."  No  one  knows  exactly 
why  this  Indian  put  up  that  sign,  but  he  is  very 
proud  of  it,  and  it  is  really  a  curiosity !     Mrs.  H. 

243 


surprised  us  by  saying,  that  these  Indians  are  often 
really  clean,  and  that  they  are  never  known  to  steal. 
She  never  locks  the  door  of  her  house,  except  at 
night,  and  in  winter  often  finds  a  half  dozen  women 
in  her  kitchen  or  sitting  room,  when  she  re- 
turns from  a  walk,  getting  warmed  up.  Blankets 
are  their  measure  of  wealth,  and  an  Indian  is 
worth  so  many  blankets,  rather  than  so  many 
shares  of  a  certain  stock.  They  put  all  their  money 
earned  in  trading,  into  blankets,  which  are  packed 
in  chests  in  their  houses,  and  are  the  pride  of  their 
hearts.  When  a  man  wants  some  cash,  h.^  pawns 
some  blankets,  which  he  never  redeems  as  a  rule, 
but  he  does  not  sell  them,  oh  no,  that  would  hurt 
his  pride,  and  his  family  honor  !  In  some  houses 
into  which  we  went,  we  saw  a  dozen  or  more  huge 
blanket  chests  in  the  corners,  a  sign  of  wealth.  If  a 
ransom  is  ever  demanded  for  a  life,  or  a  fine  to  satisfy 
any  law  of  theirs,  it  is  often  paid  in  blankets.  One 
Indian  woman  in  Sitka,  has  accumulated  such 
wealth,  that  she  owns  a  trading-ship,  they  say,  and 
has  saved  twenty-thousand  dollars.  She  leads  a 
wicked  life,  but  she  rules  the  town  !  There  is  de- 
cided ''  caste  "  in  these  little  settlements,  and  Eme- 
line  Baker  is  said  to  be  the  queen  of  this  "  Ran- 
cherie,"  and  is  acknowledged  as  **  Princess  Thom." 
She  is  fat  and  fifty,  lame  and  ungainly  in  her  fleshi- 
ness, and  as  homely  as  can  be  imagined.  Of  course, 
we  went  to  her  house  to  see  her  collection  of  wares, 
which  were  for  sale.       James  made  a  great  impres- 

244 


sion  on  Princess  Thorn,  and  she  sold  him  a  most  re- 
markable ring  from  her  index  finger,  and  her  smiles 
and  coquettish  airs  set  us  all  into  fits  of  laughter. 
She  was  stiff  in  her  prices,  and  knows  how  to  get 
and  keep  the  mighty  dollar,  but  we  had  much  fun 
at  Princess  Thom's.  After  walking  to  the  end  of 
the  village,  as  we  passed  the  home  of  the  royal 
princess  in  returning,  she  came  prancing  out  to 
offer  James  another  ring  she  had,  and  invited  him 
into  the  house  again.  The  coy  princess  had  changed 
her  dark  stuff  dress  to  a  **  Mother-Hubbard  "  of  the 
brightest  yellow;  a  deeper  yellow  handkerchief 
covered  her  head,  and  some  other  brilliant  colors 
were  visible.  Instead  of  being  **a  dream  "  in  yellow, 
she  represented  a  genuine  nightmare ! 

Almost  as  numerous  as  the  children  in  this  vil- 
lage, were  the  dogs ;  there^were  big  dogs  and  small 
dogs,  fat  dogs  and  lean  dogs,  and  all  were  as  ugly 
and  wolf-like,  as  any  I  have  ever  seen.  They  are  a 
pest  and  a  nuisance,  as  they  follow  one,  and  are  so 
creepy  and  uncomfortable.  Some  were  quite  fero- 
cious, but  seemed  brave  only  until  an  umbrella  was 
raised,  or  a  foot  stamped ;  that  always  upset  their 
courage,  and  sent  them  flying  in  all  directions. 

These  Indians  are  peaceful  now,  and  never  give 
any  trouble  to  the  residents,  but  about  seven  years 
ago  there  was  an  uprising  among  them,  which  was 
put  down  providentially.  They  became  angry  over 
some  imagined  injury  from  the  whites,  and  were  in 
war  paint  for  several  days,  and  finally  attacked  the 

245 


residents  of  Sitka,  who  resisted  them  for  a  time,  by 
barricading  themselves  in  their  houses.  One  morn- 
ing, hope  of  battling  longer  was  about  given  up  by 
the  white  people,  and  without  doubt  a  general  mas- 
sacre would  have  resulted,  if  a  war  ship  had  not  hap- 
pened to  put  in  an  appearance  that  very  morning, 
for  coal  or  water.  The  Indians  have  immense  re- 
spect for  a  gun  ;  they  fear  the  business  end  of  such 
articles,  and  as  soon  as  the  ship  appeared,  they  dis- 
appeared into  their  huts  and  were  as  docile  as  kit- 
tens. The  Government  keeps  soldiers  in  Sitka  now, 
and  a  small  war-ship  is  most  of  the  time  anchored 
here,  and  manned  by  clever  young  officers.  The 
Pinta  is  stationed  at  Sitka,  and  we  were  invited  on 
board,  an  invitation  which  James  accepted. 

I  wish  I  could  describe  the  queer  Indian  canoes. 
They  are  cut  from  a  tree-trunk,  hollowed  out  by  the 
Indians  themselves,  without  rule  or  measure.  They 
give  them  long  over-hanging  and  slender  bows,  and 
sterns  as  well,  which  make  them  quite  like  gondolas 
and  decidedly  picturesque.  Nothing  is  more  strange 
than  to  see  these  long  slender  canoes  glide  along 
through  the  water,  with  their  brilliantly  decked 
occupants,  crouching  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat.  At 
almost  every  place  we  have  stopped,  these  canoes 
have  gathered  about  the  ship  and  presented  such 
varied  little  pictures  of  Indian  families  and  Indian 
life. 

Mrs.  N.  one  of  our  Mexico  passengers  had  known, 
many  years  ago,  the  Russian  Princess  MaksoutofI, 

346 


the  first  wife  of  Sitka's  last  Russian  Governor.  She 
died  early  in  her  life  and  was  buried  in  the  little 
graveyard  in  Sitka.  For  the  sake  of  old  times,  and 
their  friendship,  Mrs.  N.  visited  her  grave,  and  was 
horrified  to  find  it  one  mass  of  weeds  and  brambles, 
the  beautiful  tombstone  having  been  carried  away 
some  distance  from  the  grave,  and  it  hurt  Mrs.  N.'s 
feelings  so  much,  that  she  had  men  clear  and  cut  the 
bushes  and  weeds  from  about  it,  replace  the  stone, 
and  left  it  in  good  condition.  It  was  a  sweet  noble 
woman's  heart,  that  prompted  such  an  act  of  kind- 
ness and  respect,  and  we  love  our  fellow  traveller 
for  her  quiet  tribute  of  love  to  her  old  friend. 

Sitka  was  pronounced  to-night  by  all,  to  be  a  most 
charming  little  place.  It  is  a  marvel  in  many  ways, 
— in  its  remote  situation,  so  far  from  all  civilized 
portions  of  the  earth,  in  the  midst  of  wildness  of 
land  as  well  as  of  people — and  yet  it  holds  up  its 
head  proudly  and  bravely,  and  seems  as  happy  a 
place,  with  as  contented  a  set  of  people,  as  one  can 
find  anywhere. 

Sitka,  with  its  greatness  in  the  past,  its  legends  of 
romance  and  love,  of  blood-shed  and  glory,  with  its 
relics  and  treasures  in  true  Russian  gorgeousness,  is 
the  most  fascinating  little  spot  we  have  seen  in  our 
entire  journey.  It  seems  entirely  out  of  the  com- 
monplace, and  is  unique  in  itself  and  unusual  and 
foreign  in  many  respects.  One  could  easily  spend 
a  month  here,  with  pleasure  and  profit,  and  our 
friends  urged  it  so  strongly  that  we  would  have  re- 

247 


mained,  had  we  been  a  wee  bit  prepared  for  it. 
They  promised  camping  and  hunting,  glimpses  of 
exquisite  scenery,  but  although  sorely  tempted,  we 
could  not  stay. 

MONDAY,    JULY  27TH. 

\\7 E  were  up  early  as  usual,  this  morning,  and 
soon  on  shore,  for  Sitka  was  too  attractive 
for  us  to  resist.  We  were  able  to  photograph  a 
little,  as  the  sun  produced  a  glare  and  semi-shine, 
good  for  photographers.  Jamie,  Miss  C.  and  I 
wandered  about  the  shops  until  about  ten  o'clock, 
then  James  went  to  the  Pinfa  with  Capt.  Coffin,  and 
I  took  a  long  walk  with  Mrs.  and  Miss  N.  and  Miss 
C.  to  the  wonderful  Mission  School  for  boys  and 
girls  of  Indian  parentage.  It  is  a  remarkable  insti- 
tution, for  the  Indian  children  are  taught  not  alone 
studies,  but  trades  and  occupations.  Many  of  the 
young  Indian  boys  do  all  the  building,  and  do  it  re- 
markably well.  We  were  much  interested  in  the 
fine-looking  young  fellows  in  their  uniforms,  and 
feel  that  the  Sitka  Mission  is  really  a  fine  institu- 
tion. This  is  the  one  in  which  Mrs.  Shepard  is  so 
interested,  and  in  large  letters  over  a  door  of  one 
building  is  "  Elliot  F.  Shepard  Training  School." 
We  also  visited  the  little  Museum,  full  of  most  in- 
teresting curios,  really  remarkable  relics  and  antiqui- 
ties. The  pleasantest  part  of  the  morning  was  our 
walk  to  Indian  River,  about  a  mile  and  a  half.  It 
was  through  such  an  ideal  country,  so  natural  and 

248 


wild,  so  full  of  ferns,  and  exquisite  trees,  and  views, 
really  most  picturesque  and  delightful.  I  had  to 
leave  my  companions  at  the  Mission  and  hasten  to 
the  MexicOy  for  James  and  I  had  asked  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  H.  to  lunch  with  us  at  twelve,  and  we  had  to 
be  on  hand.  They  came,  and  we  had  a  lovely  visit 
with  them,  and  were  right  sorry  to  leave  them. 
Mrs.  H.  brought  me  as  a  souvenir,  a  most  unusual 
and  unique  wooden  "potlach  spoon"  and  Jamie  was 
delighted.  After  luncheon  Mr.  H.  walked  with  us 
to  the  Indian  Ranch,  and  we  took  a  photo  of  the 
"  Orthodox  Family  of  Christians," — at  least  of  the 
remarkable  sign  over  the  door. 

Mr.  H.  told  us  that  he  and  some  of  the  officers 
had  put  a  stop  to  many  of  the  atrocious  habits  of 
the  Indians.  One  was  that,  whenever  a  man  or 
woman  was  dying,  they  would  place  them  in  a  cor- 
ner against  the  wall,  and  putting  a  piece  of  wood 
between  their  teeth  for  them  to  bite  on,  during 
their  last  agonies  and  struggles,  the  heartless  people 
would  go  on  preparing  for  the  burial.  A  lady  on 
the  Mexico  told  us  of  an  experience  a  naval  friend 
of  hers  had,  when  officer  on  a  vessel  stationed  at 
the  Fiji  Islands.  An  old  Chief  was  ill,  and  he  was 
on  his  way  to  inquire  for  him,  when  he  met  the 
Chief's  son,  who  said  simply  **  Father's  dead ! " 
Walking  to  the  house,  the  officer  entered  and  saw 
the  Chief  laid  out  in  state,  but  still  breathing.  He 
expostulated  with  the  son,  and  tried  to  show  him 
that   his   father  was   not  dead,  but    that    he    still 

249 


breathed.  **0h  well,"  said  the  youth,  "he  may- 
breath  but  his  soul  left  the  body  long  ago."  The 
Chief  was  carried  to  the  grave  prepared  for  him, 
and  buried,  while  he  still  breathed !  Two  of  his 
wives  were  strangled  to  death  at  the  same  time, 
which  was  their  custom  then,  for  a  chief  had  always 
to  have  company  for  his  soul,  as  well  in  death  as  in 
life. 

The  Mexico  sailed  at  two  o'clock.  Princess  Thom 
was  on  the  wharf,  and  remarkably  radiant  in  colors 
and  avoirdupois,  a  spectacle  which  made  the 
amateur  photographers  particularly  lively, — Jamie 
among  them. 

We  had  a  very  quiet  afternoon.  We  took  a  rest 
in  our  chairs  and  enjoyed  the  beautiful  scenery.  It 
was  exquisite  to-day,  just  such  scenery  as  we  had 
coming  to  Sitka — lovely  wooded  islands,  beauti- 
ful little  lakes,  snow-capped  mountains,  and  the 
narrowest  of  passes. 

TUESDAY,  JULY  28TH. 

pOINT  ELLIS  was  reached  again,  and  our  anchor 
cast,  at  a  little  after  five  o'clock  this  morning. 
We  expected  to  reach  Glacier  Bay  at  that  hour, 
but  it  was  so  stormy  last  night,  the  Captain  decided 
to  come  here  to-day,  and  give  the  weather  a  chance 
to  change.  Jamie  and  I  did  not  know  the  change 
of  plan,  so  this  morning,  when  we  anchored,  it 
awoke  me,  and  I  jumped  out  of  bed  to  see  where 
we  were  in  Glacier  Bay.     My  eyes  were  not  half 

250 


awake,  and  I  imagined  that  I  saw  ice-bergs  in  the 
distance,  which  proved  to  be  rocks  in  the  mist  and 
rain,  for  it  was  a  stormy  morning.  I  jumped  back 
on  my  little  shelf  after  that,  and  slept  heavily  until 
seven,  and  when  we  learned  later  that  we  had  come 
to  Point  Ellis  for  the  canned  salmon,  we  were  sur- 
prised. Our  day  in  Glacier  Bay  is  "  the  day  "  of 
our  trip,  and  as  sunshine  is  needed  to  make  the 
sight  perfect,  the  Captain  is  most  anxious  to  have  a 
little  sign  of  clearing,  before  going  there.  We  an- 
ticipate it  like  children,  and  although  the  dangers 
are  many,  it  gives  spice  and  flavor  to  the  experience. 
On  the  last  trip,  a  big  ice-berg  took  eighteen  inches 
off  the  Mexico's  bow,  but  the  damage  was  soon  re- 
paired, and  the  trip  enjoyed. 

This  morning  I  came  at  once,  after  breakfast,  to 
my  cabin,  to  have  a  good  long  morning  with  my 
writing,  but  soon  I  began  to  have  callers,  and  until 
lunch  time  I  was  not  alone.  Senator  D.  brought 
me  a  few  posies, — Mrs.  N.  came  to  chat  awhile, — 
Mrs.  S.,  of  Summit,  also  Miss  J.  and  Miss  E.  in 
turn,  and  after  luncheon,  and  a  little  call  on  Mrs. 
C,  I  came  to  my  room  again.  Nothing,  of  course, 
has  happened  to  chronicle  to-day,  thus  far.  Every- 
one on  board  is  resting,  or  reading,  to  recover  from 
our  long  enjoyable  day  in  Sitka,  which  was  as  ex- 
citing to  all  as  it  was  fatiguing,  and  now  the  un- 
avoidable reaction  has  struck  the  ship,  and  all  are 
resting. 

Dinner  at  five, — then  we  gathered  in  groups  and 

251 


had  a  merry  time.  About  twelve  came  to  our  cor- 
ner, and  as  we  had  only  one  cabin  chair,  and  two 
steamer  chairs,  we  had  to  offer  seats  to  some  of  our 
guests  on  the  floor.  Down  on  the  deck, — all  like 
tailors, — sat  our  company,  and  we  sang  "  rounds," 
and  had  the  joUiest  of  jolly  times. 

About  nine  o'clock  to-night,  we  began  to  approach 
Killisnoo,  a  *'  Herring  Fishery  Oil  Manufactory.** 
We  were  all  anxious  to  get  ashore,  for  every  Indian 
village  attracts  travellers,  even  having  seen  so  many 
already, — so,  as  soon  as  the  gang-way  was  lowered, 
although  the  tide  was  high,  and  we  were  to  climb 
down  at  an  awful  angle,  we  scrambled  ashore,  to 
see  all  there  was  to  be  seen  in  Killisnoo.  There 
was  much  to  smell,  for  the  refuse  of  the  herring, 
after  all  the  oil  is  extracted  from  it,  is  prepared  for 
a  fertilizer,  and  those  articles  are  never  choice  nor 
pleasant.  The  Indian  women,  true  to  their  trading 
instincts,  had  tumbled  out  of  their  homes  with  their 
wares,  and  were  in  selling  trim  when  we  arrived. 

These  villages  consist  of  a  couple  of  dozen  shan- 
ties,— no  house  of  size  or  ambitious  inclinations 
being  visible.  The  cannery,  at  Killisnoo,  is  the  in- 
dustry which  holds  the  village  and  its  hundred  or 
two  Indians  together.  We  wandered  through  the 
dirty  lanes,  stamped  our  feet  at  the  miserable  wolf- 
dogs,  which  infest  Indian  villages,  and  saw  little 
new  or  of  interest,  until  we  came  to  the  house  of 
the  Chief, — **  Saganaw  Jake,"  as  he  is  called.  A 
little  broad-shouldered  Indian,  very  thickly  set,  but 

252 


with  such  crooked  legs  that  he  was  made  lame  by 
them  (by  constantly  tripping  over  his  own  toes),  was 
in  his  house,  entertaining  some  of  the  Mexico  pas- 
sengers by  his  number  of  uniforms.  It  seems  he 
was  such  a  bad  Indian  that  some  of  the  naval  offi- 
cers took  him,  some  years  ago,  to  San  Francisco, 
where  he  was  tried  and  confined  in  prison  for  one 
year.  He  has  killed  scores  of  people, — Indians  and 
whites — and  held  undisputed  sway  after  his  brother, 
who  was  really  the  Chief,  and  had  a  similar  experi- 
ence with  the  Navy.  He  held  such  a  power  over 
the  Indians,  that  the  Oil  Company  realized  that 
they  must  acknowledge  his  authority  in  some  way, 
so  they  made  him  a  policeman,  and  he  holds  that 
position  undisputed  and  alone,  as  unique  as  any 
curio  in  Alaska,  for  Indian  policemen  are  not  many 
in  number.  He  wears  a  big  bright  shield,  with 
**  Indian  Policeman  "  on  it,  in  big  letters.  His  pecu- 
liar fondness  is  for  uniforms,  and  officers  visiting 
here  on  vessels,  and  others,  have  given  him  uni- 
forms of  different  naval  degrees,  and  land  regiment- 
als as  well.  When  a  steamer  is  in  Killisnoo,  Jake 
dresses  up  a  dozen  times  a  day,  and  parades  on  his 
crooked  legs  down  to  the  wharf,  to  be  admired,  and 
keeps  it  up  until  all  his  numerous  uniforms  have 
had  an  outing.  As  we  were  there  in  twilight,  he 
did  some  rapid  work,  changing  his  effects  in  his 
house,  while  an  admiring  crowd  stood  by  to  watch 
him.  We  were  on  hand,  and  were  much  amused  by 
the  soldierly  air  with  which  he  donned  his  cap  and 

253 


epaulettes,  and  moved  about  to  "  show  his  shape." 
Most  of  these  Thlinket  tribes  are  well  developed 
from  the  waist-line  up,  having  broad  shoulders  and 
good  chests.  Their  legs  are  frequently  dwarfed,  in 
both  men  and  women,  which  comes  from  sitting, 
hour  after  hour,  and  day  after  day,  in  their  canoes. 
We  went  outside  Jake's  house,  and  were  much  in- 
terested in  a  peculiar  carved  ornament  over  his  door. 
Over  the  door  is  a  window,  and  above  this  window 
is  a  carved  wooden  eagle's  head,  and  spreading  from 
it  are  huge  wings,  made  to  represent  feathers.  Be- 
low the  window  is  the  tail,  also  in  pieces  like  feath- 
ers. The  window  forms  the  body  of  the  eagle,  and 
they  say  this  is  the  only  eagle  in  Alaska,  "  with  a 
pane  in  its  breast !  " 

It  spreads  outside  the  roof  line,  and  seems  as  if 
it  could  stretch  its  wings  and  fly  right  away,  with  the 
house  and  the  Chief  as  well.  In  the  Indian  or  Chi- 
nook language,  a  Chief  is  called  a  Tyee^  and  an 
island  is  called  Illahee.  On  the  back  of  Jake's  house 
are  these  verses,  written  for  him  by  a  white  man  at 
Killisnoo,  and  cut  out  of  wood. 

Verse  i.    By  the  Government's  commission, 
And  the  Company's  permission, 
I  am  made  the  grand  Tyee 
Of  this  entire  Illahee. 

Verse  2.    I  am  sung  in  song  and  story, 
I've  attained  the  top  of  glory, 
As  Saganaw  I'm  known  to  fame, 
Jake  is  but  my  common  name. 

254 


To-day  several  ladies,  asked  Mrs.  Willard, — the 
missionary, — to  tell  of  her  life  among  the  Indians. 
I  went  to  hear  her,  and  was  intensely  interested. 
She  has  now  a  mission  school  at  Juneau,  but  came 
on  the  Mexico  from  Sitka  with  us.  She  came  to  the 
mission  work  in  Alaska  ten  years  ago,  and  although 
a  terrible  tirade  has  been  made  against  the  mission- 
aries, in  some  of  these  ports  (as  some  have  been  un- 
questionably bad,  and  under  the  cloak  of  religion 
have  done  all  kinds  of  outrageous  things),  I  feel  sure 
Mrs.  Willard  has  been  a  marvelous  exception  to  the 
rule,  as  she  seems  a  woman  of  great  strength  of 
character.  Quiet,  dignified,  calm,  not  at  all  prepos- 
sessing in  appearance,  yet  she  impresses  one  deeply, 
when  she  speaks  of  the  experiences  which  have  been 
hers.  Ten  years  ago,  she  came  with  her  husband  to 
the  very  mission  at  Chilcat,  in  which  we  felt  an  in- 
terest early  in  our  voyage,  because  two  of  our  pas- 
sengers were  left  there  for  the  mission  work.  When 
she  went  there,  there  was  not  one  white  person  near 
her,  not  one  soul  but  Indians,  and  they  were  the 
war-like  Chilcats,  the  most  troublesome  tribe,  even 
now,  of  these  people  on  the  Alaskan  coast.  They 
were  in  quite  a  fury  when  the  Willards  reached  them, 
as  they  had  had  a  long  fight  with  a  neighboring 
tribe.  The  Chilcats  number  between  two  and  three 
thousand  now.  They  are  separated  in  five  villages. 
The  Willards  selected  their  site  for  the  mission 
buildings  in  the  centre  of  these  five  settlements,  and 
while  they  were  building  the  husband  and  wife  went 

255 


to  visit  the  villages.  One  chief  refused  to  admit 
them  to  his  village,  but  they  were  bold  and  brave, 
and  did  not  stop,  but  went  on  and  were  received 
after  all,  by  His  Highness.  A  great  storm  (more 
severe  than  any  storm  known  in  that  vicinity  before 
or  since),  visited  that  part  of  the  country,  the  first 
winter  the  Willards  were  there,  and  the  *'  Medicine 
Men,"  the  men  of  power  in  the  village,  told  the  peo- 
ple, that  the  gods  of  the  earth  and  air  were  angry, 
because  these  white  people  had  come  into  their  midst 
with  their  new  God,  and  they  must  kill  them.  The 
**  Medicine  Men  *'  are  the  priests  of  the  villages,  but 
the  Indians  believed  then,  in  no  God,  except  gods 
of  anger,  and  gods  to  fear,  and  fear  in  its  most  terri- 
ble form  was  their  only  natural  emotion.  These 
Medicine  Men  were  listened  to  attentively,  as  long 
as  their  hair  was  long,  but  the  minute  a  man's  hair 
was  cut  off,  he  was  lost  until  it  grew  again,  and  the 
worst  punishment  that  could  happen  to  a  Medicine 
Man  was  to  lose  his  hair.  They  wore  all  kinds  of 
charms  about  their  necks,  and  all  over  them,  and 
their  work  was  to  frighten  away  evil  spirits,  and 
when  they  used  to  dance  ovet  their  patients,  they 
would  put  on  a  mask,  and  then  roar  and  plunge 
about  the  sick  one,  throwing  charms  at  him,  and 
making  passes,  until  the  spirit  was  supposed  to  be 
driven  out  of  the  patient.  Most  usually  the  patient 
died !  Mrs.  Willard  said  these  Chilcats  were  so 
against  them,  that  they  kept  provisions  or  any  food 
from  them,  and  the  dire  results  make  one  almost 

256 


sick  to  write.  The  poor  woman  had  her  limbs 
paralyzed,  from  her  waist  down,  and  one  of  her  hus- 
band's arms  became  useless, — and  to  crown  all,  her 
little  girl  was  very  ill.  All  the  time  the  Indians 
were  making  their  lives  a  purgatory.  They  had 
been  fired  upon, — the  Medicine  Men  and  Chiefs  had 
threatened  their  lives,  and  all  kinds  of  hardships  had 
been  theirs,  through  which,  Mrs.  Willard  said,  they 
were  carried  miraculously,  by  a  power  unseen, 
and  not  tangible,  but  ever  by  their  side.  The 
Indians  have  a  law,  that  if  a  life  is  taken,  one  must 
be  given  in  compensation, — if  a  man  is  killed,  ac- 
cording to  his  rank,  lives  are  demanded.  For  in- 
stance, if  a  chief  is  killed  in  battle,  four  men^s  lives 
are  demanded  from  the  enemy  in  return.  They 
have  a  caste  and  a  standard,  and  it  is  as  unchanging 
as  the  laws  of  the  Medes  and  Persians.  Mrs.  Wil- 
lard used  to  visit  the  sick,  and  take  gruel  and  medi- 
cine to  them.  The  Medicine  Men  saw  their  power 
slipping  from  them,  so  they  would  meet  Mrs. 
Willard,  on  her  walk  to  and  from  these  people,  and 
shaking  their  fists  in  her  face,  tell  her  she  would 
be  killed  if  she  continued  such  acts, — that  if  one 
person  died,  they  would  demand  her  life,  etc.  She 
continued  her  work,  with  supernatural  courage. 
After  years  among  these  Indians,  the  Willards  gradu- 
ally gained  their  affection,  were  adopted  into  their 
tribe,  were  most  cordially  treated  and  loved,  and 
even  now,  when  Chilcat  Indians  come  to  Juneau, 
they  always  visit  the  Willards,  and  beg  "  father  and 

257 


mother,  to  come  home  to  Chilcat."  But  after  many 
years  among  them,  in  their  school,  a  Chief's  child 
died,  and  then  the  Indian  affection  had  a  test.  The 
lives  of  Mrs.  Willard's  little  son  and  daughter  were 
demanded,  as  a  recompense  for  the  death  of  the 
Chief's  child.  The  old  Chief  himself  held  out  against 
this  demand  for  a  long  time,  but  the  other  Chiefs 
assembled  and  demanded  it,  for  the  pride  of  their 
tribe  was  in  danger,  and  their  time-honored  law 
could  not  be  insulted.  At  last,  the  father  of  the 
child  demanded  the  two  lives  as  his  right,  but  the 
Willards  held  their  own,  and  kept  calm,  and  soon 
moved  away  to  Juneau.  She  told  us  many  interest- 
ing items  of  the  queer  lives  of  these  people,  of  their 
wealth,  etc.  The  rich  Indians  give  sometimes,  great 
feasts,  called  "Potlaches,"  which  cost  them  thou- 
sands of  dollars.  At  these  potlaches  they  give  quan- 
tities of  food,  and  throw  hundreds  of  blankets  among 
the  guests,  which  the  guests  immediately  reduce  to 
tatters,  tearing  in  strips,  and  throwing  over  them- 
selves, and  over  the  ground.  This  constitutes  great 
liberality,  and  is  their  idea  of  a  good  time.  The 
more  they  destroy,  the  grander  the  feast,  the  greater 
the  Chief,  and  the  more  successful  the  potlach.  The 
poor  Indians  often  gather  up  the  broken  strips  and 
make  themselves  clothing  out  of  them. 
We  left  Killisnoo  at  lo  P.  M. 


358 


WEDNESDAY,    JULY    29TH. 

HTHERE  are  some  days  in  life,  which  defy  the 
cleverest  pen  to  describe,  or  picture,  when  one 
feels  dumb  and  speechless,  and  the  sensations  and 
emotions  are  too  many  and  unusual  to  portray. 
Such  a  day  in  our  lives  was  Wednesday,  July  29th 
1 89 1.  It  was  the  day  chosen  by  the  Captain  for  our 
trip  into  Glacier  Bay,  to  see  the  greatest  glacier  known 
to  scientists,  the  Muir  Glacier.  It  is  the  acme  of 
enjoyment  to  all  travellers  in  Alaska,  and  the  most 
unusual  portion  of  the  trip,  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 
Usually  the  steamers  approach  the  Glacier  until 
within  a  half  mile  in  front,  and  then  anchor  off  the 
side,  in  thirty  fathoms  of  water.  The  Muir  Glacier 
is  said  to  be  grand  beyond  measure  ;  it  is  three  miles 
wide  across  the  front,  and  one  solid  mass  of  ice  com- 
ing to  the  water's  edge,  and  it  breaks  off  in  great 
masses  every  little  while,  making  the  sound  of  roar- 
ing cannon,  and  producing  disturbances  of  unusual 
features  in  the  Bay.  Its  water  front,  or  terminal 
moraine,  is  between  three  and  four  hundred  feet 
high,  and  full  of  wonderful  deposits.  People  are 
landed  a  half  mile  from  it,  and  are  able  to  walk  to 
it,  and  over  it,  if  they  wish.  It  is  the  most  wonder- 
ful sight  imaginable,  but — we  did  not  see  it  f  It  nearly 
broke  our  hearts,  but  we  were  compensated  in  the 
end,  and  now  feel  that  we  have  had  two  experiences 
never  before  allotted  to  Alaska  tourists. 
About  half  past  four  o'clock  this  morning,  I  was 

259 


aroused  by  an  awful  thump  on  the  ship's  side,  fol- 
lowed by  another,  and  another,  until  I  began  to 
awake  to  the  realization  that  we  were  at  last  in 
Glacier  Bay,  and  in  the  midst  of  ice-bergs.  I  jumped 
down  from  my  shelf,  opened  the  door,  and  peeped 
out ;  and  such  a  scene  as  greeted  my  eyes !  A 
dozen  or  more  fine  ice-bergs  surrounded  our  ship, 
and  the  dear  old  Mexico  was  pushing  her  way  along, 
like  a  veritable  snail.  Just  then  Mr.  C.  the  freight 
clerk,  whose  room  is  next  door,  knocked  hard  on  the 
partition,  according  to  promise,  and  Jamie  awoke 
also.  I  could  hardly  see,  I  was  so  sleepy,  but  I  re- 
alized this  was  a  day  with  few  parallels,  in  our  lives, 
and  we  could  afford  to  lose  sleep,  rather  than  one 
moment  of  such  an  unusual  experience.  Jamie  was 
of  similar  mind,  so  we  were  up  and  dressed  soon  after 
five  o'clock,  and  out  on  the  hurricane  deck.  We 
found  lots  of  fellow  passengers  and  slowly,  little  by 
little,  others  came,  until  most  of  us  were  on  deck.  It 
was  bitterly  cold,  and  icy,  damp  and  penetrating ;  the 
sky  was  gray  and  overcast — the  mountains  on  all 
sides  were  a  deep  misty  blue — but  the  scene  before 
us  beggared  description !  I  looked  in  every  direc- 
tion, and  was  dumb.  Not  a  single  word  came  at  my 
bidding,  and  I  shivered  and  shook,  from  the  intense 
cold,  as  well  as  from  the  impression  of  the  marvelous 
scene  before  us.  Coffee  was  to  be  had  below,  but  I 
was  glued  to  the  spot,  and  Jamie  went  and  ordered 
the  hot  drink  with  toast,  brought  to  us  on  the 
hurricane  deck,  where  we  stood  and  ate  in  silence. 

260 


Around  us,  before,  behind,  on  each  side,  was  ice, — 
great  ice-bergs, — so  tremendous  that  our  ship 
seemed  but  an  atom,  a  speck,  to  their  wonderful 
size.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  these  moun- 
tains of  ice  were  to  be  seen,  in  such  magnificence, 
in  such  wondrous  shapes  and  colors,  that  I  shall 
not  be  surprised,  if  I  am  considered  extravagrant 
in  my  description  of  them.  At  first  the  bergs  were 
fewer  and  with  distance  between  them,  but  the 
crystal  clearness  of  the  water  doubled  each  mons- 
ter, and  we  could  only  imagine  the  depth  below 
the  water-line.  The  mountains  also  were  exquis- 
ite in  the  water  mirror,  and  the  gray  light  made 
the  ice-bergs  a  glorious  white  against  the  sombre 
background.  Little  by  little,  the  ice  closed  in  upon 
us  ;  the  good  old  ship  buried  her  nose  in  it,  push- 
ing it  aside,  scratching  against  it,  and  splintering 
her  bow  dreadfully.  Two  hours*  steaming  only 
registered  five  miles  covered,  and  we  were  then 
twelve  miles  from  the  Muir  Glacier.  We  could 
see  it  in  the  distance,  in  its  awful  grandeur,  and 
the  snow  mountains  surrounding  and  encasing 
it,  in  a  radiant  white  circle.  It  seemed  very  near  to 
us;  its  wall  of  ice  looked  mountain  high,  and  so 
strangely  distinct,  but  a  traveller  who  had  three 
times  seen  this  wonderful  sight,  told  us  we  were 
viewing  a  mirage.  Often  much  ice  is  encountered  in 
the  passage  through  Glacier  Bay,  and  only  the  last 
trip,  the  Mexico's  bow  was  taken  off  eighteen  inches 
back,  and  water  came  into   the  hold.     Never  but 

36X 


once,  however,  had  our  Captain  seen  such  a  sight ; 
only  once  had  he  ever  been  obliged  to  turn  back. 
Slowly  the  ice  closed  in  upon  us ;  the  great  ice-bergs 
encircled  us,  and  seemed  to  hold  us  fast  in  their  em- 
brace. The  old  ship  shivered  and  shook — she 
pressed  her  bow  against  the-  great  obstacles — she 
pushed,  twisted  and  tried  to  advance  one  inch,  but 
to  no  avail.  We  were  truly  bound  tightly  in,  by  the 
wonderful  ice.  Commander  C,  who  had  been  to 
the  Arctic  Sea,  on  the  Alert,  in  search  of  Greeley, 
said  this  scene  was  as  truly  like  the  Arctic  Ocean, 
with  its  bergs  and  ice,  as  anything  he  could  possibly 
imagine,  and  we  were  having  an  experience  which 
few  people,  except  explorers  of  the  Arctic  regions, 
ever  have.  We  fully  realized  it.  The  ice  impeded 
our  progress  ;  not  one  inch  could  we  move  without 
imminent  danger,  and  the  engines  were  stopped, 
and  we  lay  quietly  in  our  cradle  of  ice  for  a  couple 
of  hours.  The  scene  before  us  was  magnificent, 
and  swallowed  up  all  worry  and  fear  we  had,  or 
might  have  had,  if  we  had  not  been  in  the  seventh 
heaven  of  bliss  and  ecstasy. 

The  great  bergs  towered  on  all  sides  of  us,  in  such 
marvelous  sizes  and  such  remarkable  shapes.  Some 
were  like  several  houses  in  one  mass,  and  reflecting 
the  most  wonderful  colors.  As  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach,  there  was  nothing  but  wondrous  ice  and  snow. 
Some  ice-bergs  were  a  brilliant  green,  others  as  if  a 
bag  of  blueing  had  been  poured  on  them,  the  blue 
was  so  intense,  and  these  colors  were  reflected  in  the 

262 


queer  gray  water,  which  is  invariably  the  result  of 
glaciers,  and  denotes  the  proximity  to  one,  wherever 
it  is  met.  It  is  caused  by  the  sediment  of  matter, 
deposited  in  the  water  by  the  glacial  action.  On 
these  ice-bergs,  imbedded  often  in  the  ice  and  snow, 
were  huge  boulders  and  coal,  rocks  of  all  sizes  and 
colors,  carried  along  for  miles  and  miles  by  this  ice 
river,  and  brought  from — goodness  knows  where ! 
Some  of  these  ice-bergs  were  like  mushrooms, 
glorious  in  size  and  pure  white  in  color,  forming 
marvelous  contrasts  with  the  greens  and  blues.  Be- 
tween these  floating  mountains  of  ice,  were  smaller 
masses,  crowding  together,  heaping  up  in  little  piles, 
and  chipping  and  tumbling  about,  but  slowly  and 
with  dignity,  for  the  whole  harbor  or  bay  was  cov- 
ered as  solidly  as  if  the  pieces  had  been  glued  to- 
gether. The  most  beautiful  thing  of  all  was  the 
delicate  musical  hum  of  the  ice,  as  it  cracked,  and 
creaked,  and  knocked  together.  It  was  a  positive 
song,  as  rhythmical  and  harmonious  as  an  orchestra 
could  make  it,  with  a  distinct  melody  of  sweet 
sounds.  As  it  thumped  against  the  sides  of  the 
ship,  it  hummed  away  to  itself  so  merrily  and 
cheerily,  and  seemed  to  sing  something  about 
"  not  going  home  until  morning,"  or  '*  Forever  and 
Forever."  The  big  pieces  seemed  more  sedate  in 
their  measured  metre,  but  the  little  cakes  of  ice 
danced  in  their  glee  over  their  prisoners,  and  were 
tremulous  in  their  treble  clef.  As  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach,  great  ice-bergs  towered  to  the  sky,  and 

263 


seemed  to  threaten,  with  numerous  fingers  of  ice 
pointing  upwards,  dire  disaster  and  calamities  great, 
if  the  old  ship  dared  try  a  step  more,  or  persevere 
against  their  great  glorious  fortress  of  snow  and  ice. 
The  ice-song  went  on,  in  single  voices,  then  in  great 
and  grand  choruses,  a  little  metallic  ring  making  it 
different  from  any  oratorio  or  opera  ever  sung,  and 
yet  never  surpassed  by  any  Musical  Festival,  or 
Bayreuth  Carnival.  It  was  a  song  of  the  ice 
witches,  a  wild  weird  harmony,  with  such  soft  and 
mysterious  crescendos.  I  felt  such  supreme  and 
unusual  emotions,  as  if  I  had  been  transported  to 
another  world,  where  language  and  life  were  so  new 
and  strange, — as  if  a  door  had  opened  to  some 
"  Kingdom  Wonderful  "  and  I  had  been  allowed  to 
stand  on  the  threshold  and  look  therein. 

While  the  dreamers  dreamed,  and  gazed  off  upon 
that  Arctic  scene,  consultations  were  being  held  by 
the  careful  officers  of  our  ship,  and  it  was  decided 
unsafe  to  push  our  way  any  farther  into  that  river 
of  ice-bergs,  all  of  which  seemed  so  cold  and  inhos- 
pitable to  our  approach.  Before  we  turned  our  bow 
homeward,  a  small  boat  was  lowered  from  the  ship, 
that  our  ice  supply  might  be  re-inforced,  and  the 
only  way  the  little  boat  could  go  ahead  to  the  bow 
of  the  MexicOy  was  by  the  two  sailors  jumping  out 
on  the  ice,  pushing  the  ice  a  little  away  with  boat 
hooks,  and  then  dragging  and  hauling  it  along.  The 
men  walked  about  the  ship  as  if  on  land.  Great 
cakes  of  ice  were  pulled  up,  a  strong  net  of  ropes 

264 


slipped  under,  and  by  a  pulley  and  ropes  from  the 
yard-arm  in  the  bow,  several  small  ice-bergs  were 
taken  on  board,  to  keep  our  provisions  good  for  the 
rest  of  our  trip.  The  tide  changed,  after  a  couple  of 
hours  of  waiting,  and  cleared  the  ice  only  a  little  bit 
from  our  bows,  but  enough  to  allow  the  good  old  ship 
to  swing  about,  and  go  an  inch  at  a  time  towards  clear 
water.  Cautiously  and  carefully  our  capable  Cap- 
tain carried  us  along,  but  the  five  miles  took  us 
about  three  hours  to  cover.  It  was  one  constant 
feast  of  unusual  sights  and  scenes,  and  we  spent  our 
entire  morning  flying  from  one  part  of  the  ship  to 
another,  as  exclamations  of  delight  would  reach  our 
ears.  Finally,  worn  out  after  five  hours  of  this  en- 
joyment, we  had  just  settled  ourselves  in  our  chairs 
for  a  rest,  when  Mrs.  C.  came  to  me  in  quite  a  fever 
of  excitement,  and  said,  "Come  quick,  and  bring 
your  camera !  '*  I  ran  after  her,  and  as  I  reached 
the  other  side  of  the  ship,  I  saw  the  picture  she  de- 
sired me  to  catch.  In  between  the  great  cakes  of 
ice,  and  the  ice-bergs,  like  a  veritable  atom  of  life, 
came  a  little  tiny  canoe,  with  an  Indian,  his  squaw 
and  pappoose !  It  was  bitterly  cold  and  raw,  but 
way  out  in  that  sea  of  ice,  as  fearless  as  a  lion,  came 
the  seal-hunter,  in  his  light  frail  craft.  Sitting  in 
the  stern  was  the  woman,  her  pappoose  in  her  lap, 
rolled  so  much  in  heavy  cloths  it  was  hardly  visible. 
She  paddled  very  rapidly.  In  the  bow  sat  the 
Indian,  and  in  front  of  him  was  a  queer  square  sail- 
like arrangement,    behind    which    the    seal-hunter 

265 


crouches  when  he  approaches  a  seal.  The  little 
canoe  was  covered  with  white,  and  all  this  is  done 
to  make  the  small  affair  resemble  a  cake  of  ice,  as 
much  as  possible,  and  surprise  the  seal.  The  canoe 
approached  our  ship  bravely  and  steadly  and  the  oc- 
cupants seemed  so  pleased  to  see  us.  We  all  gath- 
ered to  see  them,  Miss  N.  lowering  on  a  string  a 
pretty  and  bright  head-handkerchief  for  the  squaw, 
which  gave  much  pleasure  to  the  poor  woman. 
They  paddled  along  for  a  while  by  our  side,  then  as 
we  all  saw  a  seal,  we  told  them  of  it,  and  they  turned 
and  went  in  search  of  it,  and  the  last  we  saw  of  the 
little  canoe,  it  was  pushing  its  way  along  in  the  ice, 
and  seemed  a  mere  speck  in  the  distance.  Some- 
times those  hunters  are  out,  for  two  or  three  days,  in 
their  boats,  seal-hunting.  Just  as  we  were  coming 
to  clear  water,  we  met  the  grandest  ice-berg  of  our 
morning.  It  was  as  long  as  our  ship,  which  is  two 
hundred  and  seventy-five  feet  in  length,  and  was 
fifty  feet  high,  and  it  went  sailing  by  us  like  a  mag- 
nificent ice-palace,  of  grand  and  colossal  proportions. 
After  reaching  clear  water,  we  steamed  at  usual 
speed  and  reached  Juneau  at  7.15  P.  M.  Although 
it  rained  hard  we  went  on  shore,  but  having  seen  all 
before,  in  sunshine,  we  did  not  do  much,  except  look 
into  the  stores.  As  we  returned  to  the  ship  we  saw 
a  genuine  Medicine  Man.  He  was  tall  and  dark, 
wore  high  rubber  boots,  and  a  brilliant  striped 
blanket  covered  him  from  neck  to  knee.  His  face 
was  as  hard  and  stern  and  as  ignorant  as  a  brute's, 

266 


and  I  would  like  to  apologize  to  the  brute  for  the 
comparison.  What  interested  us  most  was  his  head. 
His  hair  was  long,  and  probably  it  was  against  his  re- 
ligion to  ever  comb  it,  for  it  hung  in  ropes,  like  great 
cords,  it  was  so  matted  together,  and  it  was  caught 
and  tucked  under  his  blanket.  I  never  have  seen  such 
a  dreadful  head  in  my  life.  Medusa,  with  her  myriad 
snakes  and  serpents,  would  be  a  fascinating  picture 
to  the  dirty,  unwashed,  uncombed  heathen  Indian. 

THURSDAY,  JULY   30TH. 

'\  17"  E  remained  at  Juneau  all  night,  and  about 
eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  steamed 
over  to  Douglas  Island  for  theTreadwell  Mine,  gold. 
My  own  eyes  feasted  on  the  small  parcels  of  gold 
brought  on  board,  which  amounted  to  ninety-thou- 
sand dollars.  It  was  good  to  look  upon.  About 
ten  o'clock,  the  dear  old  Mexico  steamed  away  from 
the  wharf  at  Douglas  Island,  and  we  started  forTaku 
Inlet,  for  the  Captain  was  bound  to  have  his  passen- 
gers see  some  glaciers,  and  in  Taku  Inlet  are  two 
fine  ones,  not  so  grand  as  the  Muir,  but  very  fine 
and  to  some  more  beautiful,  because  of  the  purity  of 
the  ice.  We  had  a  most  exquisite  sail  into  this  little 
paradise,  into  this  Inlet  of  wooded  shores  and 
glorious  grandeur.  Finally,  about  twelve  o'clock,  we 
were  nearing  the  Taku  Glacier,  and  were  to  approach 
through  the  sea  of  ice-bergs  to  its  front,  when  the 
channel  having  shifted,  owing  to  glacial  deposits, 
high  and  dry  on  a  sand-bank  went  our  bow,  and  we 

267 


were  grounded.  We  rejoiced  all  day  over  this  fact, 
and  called  it  "  our  good  fortune,"  for  we  had  to  re- 
main until  high  tide  to  get  afloat  again,  and  high 
tide  was  at  9  P.  M.  A  whole  day  in  such  magnifi- 
cent scenery,  a  whole  day  in  Paradise  ! 

Around  us  on  every  side  were  the  most  majestic 
mountains,  every  one  with  a  crown  of  crystal  snow, 
every  one  with  such  glorious  outlines,  such  ice-cut 
rock  sides,  such  green  foliage  near  the  water's  edge, 
that  the  picture  was  one  exquisite  vision  of  color, 
a  veritable  mosaic.  We  lay  in  among  ice-bergs 
without  number,  in  a  basin  of  beautiful  outlines, 
encased  and  surrounded  by  a  circle  of  grand  hills, 
whose  variety  of  form  against  the  blue  sky,  made 
an  impression  upon  us  never  to  be  effaced.  Down 
the  mountain  sides  tumbled  breathlessly  a  multi- 
tude of  silvery  streams,  and  once  in  a  while,  a  glori- 
ous mass  of  brilliant  red,  informed  us  where  the 
snow-flower  was  growing.  Toward  our  left  hand, 
in  beauty  and  grandeur,  stood  the  great  Child 
Glacier,  but  a  mile  of  mud  and  stones  deposited  by 
the  ice,  made  a  nearer  acquaintance  quite  out  of  the 
question.  In  front  of  us,  about  three  miles  away,  in 
most  inviting  beauty,  stood  the  pure  and  exquisite 
Taku  Glacier,  in  such  radiant  glory  in  the  sunshine 
that  it  was  a  feast  to  stand  and  watch  it.  Between 
us  and  the  Glacier,  as  well  as  on  our  right  hand, 
and  forward,  were  innumerable  ice-bergs,  more 
beautiful,  if  that  could  be,  than  any  of  Glacier  Bay, 
more  individual  and  characteristic. 

s63 


Although  no  boats  had  ever  been  sent  to  the 
front  of  this  Glacier,  although  all  the  sea-faring  men 
said  it  was  fool-hardy  and  dangerous,  and  the  peo- 
ple were  taking  their  lives  in  their  hands,  three 
crowded  boats  started  out  after  luncheon,  and  rowed 
in  and  out  between  the  ice-bergs,  to  the  front  of  the 
glacier.  We  watched  these  three  boats  until  they 
were  tiny  specks  in  the  distance;  we  lost  sight  of 
them  many  times,  and  for  an  hour  or  more  could 
not  find  them,  they  were  so  hidden  behind  the  ice. 
The  greatest  danger  was  in  the  fact  that  huge  pin- 
nacles were  constantly  being  deposited  in  the  water, 
breaking  off  from  the  glacier,  and  when  these  masses 
fall  they  produce  disturbances  in  the  water,  which 
oftentimes  overturn  huge  ice-bergs,  and  make 
much  danger  for  any  boat,  especially  a  small  one. 
These  boats  were  terribly  crowded,  and  Jamie  and  I 
were  not  alone,  in  refusing  to  imperil  our  lives  in 
such  a  crowd.  We  remained  on  deck  all  the  after- 
noon, most  enthusiastic  and  excited  over  the  scene 
before  us,  for  it  defied  description,  and  words  can  never 
tell  what  a  mysterious  charm  came  over  us  this  day. 
We  could  do  nothing  but  absorb  and  drink  in  that 
grandeur.  After  four  hours*  absence  our  three  boats 
returned,  enthusiastic  in  the  wildest  terms  over  their 
experience.  Some  poor  women  had  been  in  hyster- 
ics over  the  trip,  and  came  home  used  up  and  worn 
out  and  in  tears,  but  most  of  them  were  anxious  for 
us  to  see  the  same  wonderful  sight.  Mr.  Gray,  the  first 
officer,  had  asked  us  in  the  afternoon,  why  we  did 

269 


not  go,  and  when  I  told  him  it  was  because  of  the 
crowd  that  we  were  afraid,  he  promised  to  take  us 
there  himself,  and  in  perfect  safety,  and  after  dinner, 
and  sending  one  boat-load  of  twenty  people  off  with 
two  sailors,  Mr.  Gray  took  Jamie  and  me,  with  seven 
friends  and  four  sailors,  to  see  the  great  sight. 

We  pushed  off  from  the  ship  about  6  p.  M.  and 
rowed  directly  toward  the  Taku  Glacier,  threading 
our  way  in  and  out  between  the  great  bergs,  and  oh, 
how  great  and  cold  and  awful  they  did  look  to  us, 
in  our  tiny  boat !  It  was  then  that  we  appreciated 
the  size  and  height  of  those  terrible  ice  mountains, 
the  beauty  and  magnificence  and  grandeur  of  those 
marvelous  churches  and  palaces  and  cathedrals  of 
ice.  A  great  arched  berg,  raising  its  head  so  proudly 
and  gracefully,  resembled  a  swan  of  colossal  propor- 
tions, another  was  a  great  bear,  and  all  the  animals 
in  the  animal  kingdom  were  faithfully  represented 
there.  We  rowed  around  a  great  white  snow  berg, 
with  such  tremendous  perpendicular  walls,  such 
slabs  of  snow  ice,  that  it  seemed  impossible  to  real- 
ize, that  such  a  weight  could  be  buoyed  up  by  the 
water,  and  came  to  a  transparent  castle  of  glorious 
blue,  like  a  gem,  a  veritable  turquoise,  as  if  it  had 
just  dropped  from  God's  blue  skies.  Next  we  would 
see  a  huge  ice-berg,  whose  overhanging  top  made 
beautiful  ice-grottos,  far  surpassing  in  glorious 
beauty,  the  famed  ''  Blue  Grotto  "  of  Capri.  Next 
to  this  a  transparent  ice-berg  of  pure  clear  ice,  then 
a  deep  green  one,  until  one  was  bewildered,  and  the 

370 


mind  could  grasp  no  more.  As  we  crept  by  inches 
between  the  ice-bergs,  we  were  crawling  over  them  as 
well,  as  vigorous  thumps  on  the  bottom  of  the  boat 
informed  us.  "  Easy  boys,"  sang  Officer  Gray  to 
his  sailors,  **  we  don't  want  to  go  to  the  bottom 
here  in  such  ice  water."  "  Is  there  danger?  "  quoth 
I.  **  Yes  indeed,  but  we'll  be  careful,"  was  the  reply. 
Was  I  nervous  ?  Maybe  !  a  little  at  first,  but  the 
novelty  of  the  experience,  the  beauty  of  the  scene, 
the  great  and  glorious  ice,  finally  absorbed  and  swal- 
lowed up  all  fears,  and  I  felt  as  if  I  was  in  Heaven 
at  last,  and  if  I  was  tossed  into  that  water,  I  could 
not  be  far  from  God's  Great  White  Throne.  We 
went  within  an  eighth  of  a  mile  of  the  front  of  the 
glacier,  and  there  we  lay  for  a  while  to  watch  and 
see.  Oh,  how  beautiful  it  was  !  Rising  two  and 
three  hundred  feet,  right  from  the  water  into  the  air, 
in  pinnacles,  turrets,  spires  and  columns,  in  blue  and 
white  and  green  ice,  was  this  great  frozen  river,  in 
exquisite  purity  and  whiteness.  Some  points  and 
pyramids  were  divided  by  tremendous  cracks  and 
crevasses,  which  produced  the  most  marvelous 
shadows,  such  deep  colors,  that  it  made  one  creep 
with  fear,  to  see  such  unfathomable  depths.  As  we 
sat  in  the  boat  and  feasted  our  eyes  upon  that  mar- 
velous miracle,  in  the  last  rays  of  the  setting  sun,  it 
was  a  glimpse  of  Heaven  in  reality,  a  sight  which 
grows  more  and  more  impressive,  as  I  think  of  it  day 
after  day.  It  was  the  mysterious  wonder,  the  one 
great  unexplained  query  of  all  that  night,  as  to  the 

271 


age  and  meaning  of  those  rivers  of  ice;  their 
historical  records  imprisoned  in  the  stranded  boulders 
and  floating  ice-bergs,  could  not  be  fathomed  ;  they 
held  their  secret  fast,  in  their  silent  beauty.  Our 
row  back  to  the  ship  was  even  more  beautiful  than 
our  row  to  the  glacier,  and  it  was  with  regret  that 
we  reached  the  Mexico,  after  9  P.  M.  We  returned, 
thoroughly  imbued  with  the  emotions  of  the  occa- 
sion, and  in  a  spirit  of  exaltation  and  ecstasy,  of 
awe,  wonder  and  of  praise.  "Ye  ice  and  snow, 
Praise  ye  the  Lord,"  had  been  fulfilled  to  the  letter 
of  the  law,  and  we  were  in  tune  with  the  anthem. 

FRIDAY,  JULY  3 1  ST. 

/^H,  how  we  slept  last  night!  Not  a  sound  did 
we  hear  this  morning,  not  even  the  great  rising 
bell,  until  Tom,  our  chambermaidy  knocked  on  the 
cabin  door,  with  hot  water.  I  jumped  up  then  with 
my  eyes  full  of  sticks,  and  a  big  wish  in  my  heart  to 
remain  for  an  extra  snooze.  Breakfast  over,  we  put 
on  our  ulsters  and  heavy  things  (for  it  was  very, 
very  cold),  and  went  up  on  the  hurricane  deck,  for 
we  were  nearing  one  of  the  narrowest  passes  of  our 
trip.  Wrangle  Narrows  is  a  dangerous  passage,  and 
requires  great  skill  to  go  through  safely,  but  Captain 
Hunter  is  equal  to  anything,  and  no  one  can  be 
timid  with  such  a  safe,  reliable  captain  at  the  helm. 
The  passage  is  most  beautiful,  winding  in  and  out 
between  thickly  wooded  banks,  and  giving  us  glimpses 
of  the  greatest  beauty  and  variety.     The  men  casting 

273 


the  lead  were  of  interest  too,  and  their  weird  calls 
*'  By  the  mark-five,*'  **and  the  <^<?^-six,"  emphasiz- 
ing always  the  words  underlined,  were  like  Greek  to 
me,  until  I  learned  that  all  odd  numbers  were  ac- 
companied by  the  word  "  mark,"  and  all  the  even 
by  "  deep/*  They  have  such  a  clever  adroit  manner 
of  swinging  the  lead  back  and  forth,  until  it  is  in 
proper  form  to  turn  in  circles,  and  this  gives  it  carry- 
ing power,  and  takes  it  flying  out  beyond  the  bows 
into  the  water. 

We  enjoyed  the  morning  chatting,  as  we  had  lots 
of  company  in  our  cosy  corner.  About  half-past  one 
o'clock,  we  began  to  see  Fort  Wrangle  in  the  dis- 
tance, and  were  all  on  the  gut  vive  when  the  Mexico 
reached  the  wharf.  The  Captain  gave  us  only  an 
hour  this  time,  as  we  had  been  here  for  much  longer 
when  we  first  came,  so  we  jumped  off  the  ship  in 
quick  hot  haste,  Miss  C.  and  I  in  the  lead.  We  had 
ordered  a  souvenir  spoon,  and  having  very  little  con- 
fidence in  the  Indian's  word  of  honor,  we  were 
anxious  to  reach  his  hut  before  others  should  per- 
suade him  to  sell  to  them.  We  two  fairly  tore 
through  the  village,  between  the  little  huts  and 
through  the  alleys,  and  on  reaching  Indian  Charlie 
Gunnak,  the  silversmith,  we  found  our  fears  were 
without  foundation,  for  our  spoons  were  carefully 
put  away,  waiting  for  us.  We  then  strolled  about 
the  place,  walking  along  the  beach  in  the  wet,  for 
it  was  sprinkling  and  real  damp  Alaska  weather, 
and  we  found  another  Indian  who  wanted  to  sell  us 

273 


something.  The  entire  village  turns  out  on  steamer 
days,  and  as  most  of  the  village  consists  of  Indians, 
the  houses  are  lined  and  outlined  by  these  crouch- 
ing figures,  with  their  bright  yellow,  red  and  green 
head-handkerchiefs  and  their  showy  blankets,  and 
their  baskets  and  skins  of  animals,  spread  out  before 
them  to  sell. 

We  were  bound  to  see  the  Chief's  house  this  time 
if  we  could,  the  "Chief  Shakes,"  who  was  away 
fishing  when  we  were  in  Fort  Wrangle  before.  He 
lives  in  a  typical  Indian  house,  but  the  one  room 
was  large  and  had  three  tiers  about  it.  The  lowest 
part  or  square  is  where  the  fire  is  usually  built ; 
around  it  are  two  steps,  or  balconies,  on  which  the 
Indians  lie  on  fur  skins,  and  eat,  smoke,  or  sleep. 
Still  higher  is  a  raised  shelf-like  balcony,  running 
entirely  around  the  room,  on  which  are  put  the 
rude  board  bedsteads,  tables,  etc.  Shakes  was  at 
home,  but  was  very  different  from  my  idea  of  a 
real  chief.  He  is  short  and  does  not  impress  one 
very  deeply,  yet  he  is  their  Chief,  the  Chief  of  the 
Wrangle  Indians,  and  has  great  power  among  his 
people.  He  is  wealthy  and  displayed  with  great 
pride  his  collection  of  curios,  which  consisted  of 
relics  of  years  and  years,  some  having  rather  inter- 
esting legends  associated  with  them.  The  Shakes 
family  have  a  tradition,  that  a  big  white  bear 
jumped  out  of  Noah's  ark,  swam  to  Alaska  and  went 
to  Shakes'  great,  great,  great,  great  grandfather  for 
food.    The  grandfather  mentioned  is  said  to  have 

274 


fed  and  housed  the  bear,  who  lived  in  peace  and 
gratitude  with  the  family  for  years,  until  his  death. 
The  skin  is  shown  by  Shakes,  with  great  pride,  and 
he  told  us  to-day  that  the  skin  and  head  were  about 
eight  hundred  years  old,  showing  the  Indian  idea 
of  the  date  of  the  deluge.  He  had  many  robes, 
shirts  and  blankets,  worn  at  different  times  by  his 
ancestors,  and  these  were  elaborately  decorated  with 
pearl  button  designs,  men's  faces  made  with  them, 
eyes,  nose  and  mouth  being  very  expressive  and 
lifelike !  He  had  numerous  hats,  such  as  Kadishan 
showed  us,  with  bronze  dragons  and  ermine  tails 
hanging,  innumerable  totem  effects,  carved  and 
painted  figures,  wonderful  carved  horns,  some  most 
unusual  curios,  and  all  were  heirlooms  and  priceless. 
Outside  his  house  were  two  totems.  One  was  won- 
derfully fine  and  old,  in  fact,  only  the  old  Indian 
villages  have  these  totem  poles ;  the  other  repre- 
sented the  historical  bear.  The  sides  of  the  pole 
were  covered  with  bear  foot-prints,  as  if  the  bear  had 
climbed  up  the  pole,  and  on  the  top  was  a  carved 
wooden  bear  crouching.  It  tells  its  own  story,  the 
fable  of  the  bear  from  the  Ark,  and  makes  the  fam- 
ily history  of  Shakes  branch  and  tribe  of  great 
antiquity. 

We  were  as  much  interested  in  these  totem  poles, 
seeing  them  the  second  time,  as  at  first ;  in  fact  their 
originality  and  unusual  appearance  were  more  im- 
pressive to-day  than  before.  Nowhere  else  in  the 
world  are  these  totems  to  be  seen  ;  they  are  unique 

275 


and  one  of  Alaska's  charms.  We  left  Wrangle 
about  three  o'clock  and  steamed  around  a  short  dis- 
tance, only  fifteen  minutes'  sail,  to  Labouchere  Bay, 
where  a  cannery  is  situated,  and  where  we  took  on 
more  canned  salmon.  No  one  went  ashore,  as  there 
was  absolutely  nothing  to  see.  Jamie  napped  and  I 
took  the  little  opportunity  of  quiet  and  repose  to 
write.  After  dinner,  it  was  cold,  so  until  we  started 
I  sat  inside  my  cabin  door  and  wrote  a  little  more. 
By  snatching  odd  unused  minutes,  my  journal  is 
kept,  for  I  cannot  spare  the  time  when  there  is  any- 
thing to  see  or  enjoy.  About  seven  o'clock.  Miss  N. 
and  Miss  K.  came  to  my  door,  to  tell  me  there  was 
music  and  dancing  on  the  hurricane  deck,  so  Jamie 
and  I  went  up,  and  it  was  such  a  jolly  evening.  A 
young  fellow  had  come  aboard  at  Fort  Wrangle, 
who  played  the  banjo,  Miss  S.  accompanied  on  the 
guitar ;  Capt.  Hunter  is  a  musical  genius  and  had 
his  violin  on  deck,  another  man  had  a  violin  also, 
and  the  dancing  was  quite  spirited.  We  had  the 
jolliest  time  imaginable,  for  we  all  know  one  another 
well  now,  and  congenial  spirits  always  flock  together, 
consequently  "  our  crowd  "  is  a  right  royally  jolly 
one. 

About  8  P.  M.  we  moved  out  of  Labouchere  Bay, 
and  every  one  was  deeply  grieved  because  one  of 
the  ship's  dogs  had  been  left  at  Fort  Wrangle. 
Around  to  Fort  Wrangle  we  turned,  to  find  the  miss- 
ing favorite  "Texas."  Capt.  Hunter  has  two  huge 
Newfoundland   dogs,   who   never    leave    him,   and 

276 


whose  devotion  to  our  Captain  is  truly  touching. 
Everybody  on  the  ship  is  devoted  to  Texas,  and  Jeff 
Davis.  Owing  to  some  mistake  Texas  was  left,  and 
no  one  could  be  reconciled  to  make  the  rest  of  the 
voyage  without  him.  Up  to  the  wharf  the  big 
Mexico  steamed  ;  lines  were  thrown  out  and  made 
fast,  and  a  boatswain  sent  on  shore  to  find  Texas. 
No  one  else  went  ashore  but  every  one  watched  for 
the  dear  old  dog.  Soon,  down  the  long  wharf  came 
the  great  black  fellow,  running  like  mad,  and  when 
he  saw  the  ship,  the  Captain  and  the  people,  I 
thought  his  tail  would  wriggle  right  off,  it  waved  so 
rapidly.  No  gangway  was  put  out,  but  he  was 
helped  into  a  port  hole,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  on 
board  he  rushed  for  the  Captain,  who  stood  on  his 
bridge.  The  meeting  between  the  Captain  and  Jeff 
and  Texas,  was  really  touching.  Jeff  ran  up  and 
kissed  Texas,  and  Texas  could  hardly  do  enough  to 
express  his  gratitude  to  his  master.  He  jumped  all 
over  him,  licked  his  hands,  and  expressed  his  thanks 
as  no  words  could  have  done,  and  it  was  truly  won- 
derful to  see  the  love  that  noble  old  dog  was  trying, 
all  the  evening,  to  express  to  his  Captain. 

We  had  the  pleasantest  evening  of  the  voyage. 
Mrs.  N.,  Mrs.  C,  Miss  C,  Dr.  N.,  Miss  N.,  James 
and  I  sat  together  until  half-past  nine  o'clock,  then 
we  went  for  some  supper.  When  we  went  down,  it 
seemed  wicked  to  eat  and  leave  such  beauty,  for  the 
scenery  was  magnificent  and  the  sunset  glory  was 
radiantly  exquisite.      Gold,  liquid  and   pure,  with 

277 


filmy  violet  and  rose  tints  strewed  over  it,  with  a  re- 
flection of  such  shimmering  beauty,  that  it  seemed 
almost  unnatural,  was  the  picture  we  saw.  Ten 
minutes  after  ten  o'clock,  when  we  came  up  from 
supper,  it  was  still  beautiful  and  bright  as  day. 

We  were  just  parting  for  the  night,  when  some  one 
told  us  there  was  music  in  the  Captain's  cabin.  Go- 
ing to  his  room,  we  found  a  crowd  assembled  as  au- 
dience, and  inside  the  room  were  a  few  fellows  with 
pleasant  voices,  singing  glees,  old-timers  some  of 
them — but  always  good.  It  was  a  pleasant  ending 
to  a  most  lovely  day. 

This  morning  we  saw  as  many  as  twenty  eagles,  on 
one  bank  of  Wrangle's  Narrows.  They  were  big 
fellows,  with  white  heads.  On  Tuesday  last,  one  of 
the  engineers  went  out  into  the  woods  again,  and 
when  he  returned  came  to  my  door  and  showed  me 
his  prize.  He  had  shot  a  big  bald-headed  eagle,  and 
we  measured  his  wings  from  tip  to  tip,  and  he 
measured  seven  feet  eight  inches.  He  was  a  mon- 
ster. 

SATURDAY,  AUGUST   1ST. 

^ITHEN  we  awoke  this  morning,  we  found  it 
raining  dismally,  and  we  were  anchored  in 
the  beautiful  land-locked  harbor  of  Yaas  Bay.  It  is 
a  beautiful  spot,  wooded  to  the  water's  edge,  and 
the  ferns  and  mosses  are  exquisite.  There  is  a 
cannery  here,  and  we  are  doing  a  great  salmon  busi- 
ness, this  dear  old  Mexico,  and  we  must  lie  here  all 

278 


day  loading.  There  is  a  salmon  wheel  here,  and  we 
anticipated  seeing  it,  as  the  fish  are  caught  on  the 
paddle  of  the  wheel,  as  they  pass  through  the 
stream,  and  are  thrown  on  shore.  But,  although 
some  people  ventured  on  shore,  they  found  the 
mud  ankle  deep,  and  were  unable  to  reach  the 
wheel.  Jamie  borrowed  a  big  pair  of  rubber  boots, 
and  started  off,  but  he  went  into  mud  almost  to 
his  knees,  although  he  succeeded  in  seeing  the 
wheel.  We  have  had  a  quiet  day, — good  to  most 
of  us,  for  we  were  tired.  I  have  sat  in  my  cabin, 
with  my  door  open,  most  of  the  morning,  while  just 
outside  sit  an  army  of  people,  all  scraping  horn 
spoons.  It  is  an  epidemic  and  has  struck  everyone 
on  board,  except  Jamie  and  myself,  and  we  expect 
to  succumb  soon.  The  horn  spoons  made  and  used 
by  the  Indians,  from  the  horns  of  the  mountain 
sheep,  are  very  old,  and  after  scraping  down  with 
glass  and  sand-paper,  are  capable  of  being  highly 
polished,  and  although  it  takes  great  elbow  exercise, 
each  one  tries  to  outdo  his  neighbor.  As  I  write, 
the  scrape,  scrape,  scrape,  makes  a  regular  song,  an 
opera  in  sand-paper  rhythm,  and  such  groans  and 
sighs  as  come  from  the  spoony  crowd !  Oil  is 
rubbed  in,  rosin  is  used,  and  a  real  dirty  operation  it 
is,  but  everybody  is  working  like  a  day-laborer. 
The  workers  sit  in  little  groups,  and  such  merri- 
ment as  it  all  provokes.  I  wish  some  time  that  I 
could  put  down  all  the  jokes  and  fun.  We  think 
something  of  having  a  "  horn-spoon  photograph,** 


279 


and  as  no  one  will  be  allowed  in  it,  unless  he  can 
give  a  certificate  that  he  has  scraped,  at  least  five 
minutes,  we  must  get  to  work  and  qualify  for  office. 
I  saw  Mr.  S.  in  Fort  Wrangle  yesterday,  with  a 
paper  bundle  under  his  arm,  and  as  everyone  asks 
everybody  else  what  they  have  bought,  and  what 
they  have  paid,  I  said  to  Mr.  S.,  '*  Been  buying 
photographs,  I  see. "  *'  No,  I  haven't,"  he  an- 
swered, "  that's  a  pane  of  glass  and  sand-paper,  for 
I'm  going  into  the  spoon  business." 

This  afternoon  Miss  N.  and  Miss  K.  came  to  my 
room,  and  we  all  copied  Captain  Hunter's  record  of 
the  nautical  miles  of  our  trip.  Outside  the  door  sat 
Jamie  and  several  others.  About  half-past  three,  I 
made  "tea"  in  my  little  Chinese  basket,  and  enter- 
tained the  crowd.  We  had  lots  of  fun  and  merri- 
ment, and  kept  it  up  until  dinner  time.  Just  before 
going  to  dinner,  Mr.  C.  gave  me  a  beautiful  spoon,  a 
light-colored  horn  one,  and  beautifully  polished,  his 
own  work.     I  was  much  pleased. 

After  dinner,  we  all  put  on  our  rubbers  to  go 
ashore  at  Loring.  It  rained,  of  course,  as  it  does 
much  of  the  time  in  Alaska,  but  we  all  went  ashore 
armed  with  umbrellas,  and  marched  in  Indian  file,  up 
to  the  one  store  in  this  cluster  of  two  dozen  little 
huts.  The  door  was  locked,  and  a  man  standing 
near  said,  **  the  man  will  open  the  store  after  he  has 
finished  his  supper."  There  was  independence  for 
you,  a  little  piazza  crowded  full  of  people,  about 
seventy-five  in  all,  standing  and  waiting  for  Loring's 

280 


one  merchant  to  finfsh  his  supper!  I  could  not  help 
expressing  surprise  at  the  man's  utter  indifference 
to  the  almighty  dollar.  He  came  at  last,  and  opened 
the  store,  and  we  all  tumbled  in  en  masse  and 
divided  as  our  tastes  led  us.  Some  small  boys 
wanted  candy,  so  we  waited  about  fifteen  minutes 
for  them  to  be  satisfied,  and  for  the  one  store-keeper 
to  come  our  way.  After  a  look  about,  Jamie  and  I, 
with  a  young  lady  from  Pasadena,  went  with  Mr.  E. 
into  the  Salmon  Cannery.  I  had  not  been  into  any 
such  establishment,  and  James  thought  I  should  see 
one  before  leaving  Alaska.  Every  one  advised  me 
not  to  go,  but  I  did  go,  and  I'm  glad.  I  saw  the 
salmon  taken,  and  heads  and  tails  cut  off,  split, 
cleaned,  and  then  thrown  on  a  table,  and  cut  into 
pieces.  The  machine  was  not  working,  but  I  saw 
where  the  pieces  of  salmon  are  put  in,  where  the 
can  comes  down  in  a  shute,  and  is  filled,  and  then  is 
pushed  by  steam  in  a  little  channel,  to  have  a  top  put 
on.  It  is  then  soldered,  and  put  in  hot  water,  boil- 
ing water,  where  it  remains  forty-five  minutes.  A 
hole  is  then  made  in  the  can,  to  allow  the  air  to  es- 
cape, and  it  is  at  once  soldered  again.  It  is  then  put 
into  "  coolies,"  they  are  called,  and  placed  in  a  retort, 
where  they  stay  one  hour,  at  a  temperature  of  240^. 
They  are  washed  immediately  in  cold  water,  and 
then  put  in  a  trepanning  bath.  Labeling  and  pack- 
ing come  next,  and  then  the  process  ends.  It  was 
really  interesting  to  me  and  I  was  glad  I  went.  They 
fill  about  forty-eight  thousand  cans  a  day,  each  can 


containing  one  pound.  Chinamen  are  the  workmen, 
and  this  Cannery  at  Loring  is  one  of  the  best  pay- 
ing fisheries  in  Alaska. 

It  is  interesting  to  watch  the  salmon  in  the  water. 
They  jump  several  times  their  length,  up,  out,  and 
over  the  water,  just  as  one  makes  a  stone  skip  along 
the  surface.  They  put  nets  out  all  about  the  mouths 
of  the  streams,  and  at  Chilcat  we  saw  the  men  haul- 
ing the  net,  and  were  much  interested  in  watching 
their  process  of  handling. 

SUNDAY,  AUGUST  2ND.' 

Tl  rE  left  Loring  last  night,  and  when  we  awoke 
this  morning,  we  found  it  was  raining  again 
and  was  cold  and  damp.  We  were  sailing  through 
most  beautiful  channels  and  sounds,  and  were  a 
little  vexed  that  the  rain  followed  us  so  persistently, 
when,  turning  a  sharp  point  in  our  course,  we  saw 
the  most  glorious  sunshine  ahead, — and  out  from 
under  the  low  hanging  clouds,  which  had  hovered 
about  us  all  the  morning,  and  had  veiled  the  moun- 
tains from  our  sight,  we  steamed  into  such  radiant 
sunshine,  with  blue  sky  above  us  and  blue  water 
under  us,  and  the  dividing  line  between  sunshine 
and  shadow  was  as  distinct  as  if  it  had  been  cut 
with  a  knife.  With  the  sunshine  came  our  spirits, 
and  we  fairly  jumped  for  joy.  The  views  were  ex- 
quisite, and  we  were  enjoying  them,  when  our  atten- 
tion was  suddenly  arrested  by  a  most  unusual  ap- 
pearance of  the   water.      To   all  reason,   we  were 

282 


sailing  in  blood-red  water, — the  bow  of  the  Mexico 
cut  its  way  through  really  bright  red  waves,  and  left 
curling  tracks  behind  of  the  same  marvelous  hue.  It 
was  thick, — one  could  see  it  plainly, — like  a  sub- 
stance dissolved  in  water,  but  still  retaining  its 
body.  (But  can  a  substance  be  dissolved  and  still 
retain  its  body  ?)  "  We  scientists  "  went  to  the  Cap- 
tain, to  solve  the  question  why  this  water  was  so  red 
and  thick,  and  the  Captain  thought  it  was  salmon- 
spawn,  swept  out  by  the  tide.  Another  suggestion 
was,  that  it  was  a  low  form  of  animal  or  vegetable 
life,  the  same  that  produces  the  phosphorescent 
light  in  the  water.  To  prove  this  theory,  Dr.  N. 
had  a  pail  full  of  this  queer  water  reserved  until 
night,  and  taking  it  in  the  dark,  into  our  cabin, 
proved  that  it  was  the  red  variety  of  that  vegetable 
life,  which  produces  the  light  in  the  waves. 

At  11.45  ^'  M»  we  approached  Metlakahtla,  an 
Indian  village  of  remarkable  and  civilized  develop- 
ment. We  anchored  off  the  little  settlement  and 
after  dinner  we  went  ashore  in  small  boats.  Having 
no  wharf  to  approach,  we  were  rowed  on  to  the 
beach,  and  having  a  heavy  load,  of  course  our  boat 
stuck  in  the  sand  and  some  feet  of  water  lay  between 
us  and  the  beach.  As  quick  as  lightning,  our  gallant 
Third  Officer  was  "  afloat "  in  the  intervening  space, 
with  his  high  rubber  boots,  and  approached  the  bow 
of  the  boat  where  Jamie  was  sitting.  In  an  in- 
stant, off  to  the  shore  went  my  dearly  beloved,  on 
the  back  of  a  strong  fellow,  one  of  the  sailors,  and 

283 


was  landed  high  and  dry  on  the  beach  "in  a 
twinkle."  How  everybody  roared,  and  how  relieved 
we  ladies  were,  when  we  were  informed  that  the  same 
method  of  transportation  was  not  necessary  for  us. 
A  board  was  brought  and  stretched  from  boat  to 
shore,  and  we  scrambled  across  on  that — in  fine 
style. 

Metlakahtla  is  a  model  Indian  village,  and  all  to 
the  credit  of  one  man,  who  has  given  his  life  to  this 
great  work.  Mr.  William  Duncan  lived  in  England, 
and  was  a  smart,  energetic  young  man.  One  stormy 
night  he  went  to  a  missionary  meeting,  and  as  only 
nine  persons  were  present,  it  was  suggested  that  the 
meeting  be  postpioned.  Another  suggestion,  how- 
ever, carried  the  vote,  which  was  that  the  nine  brave 
members  of  that  little  gathering  be  rewarded  by  a 
service  then  and  there.  It  resulted  in  one  of  the 
little  band  leaving  the  gathering,  with  a  verbal  vow 
to  give  his  life  to  the  missionary  cause.  In  1857, 
this  young  man — William  Duncan — came  to  British 
Columbia,  going  among  the  Indians  at  once.  When 
I  asked  him  if  he  would  tell  us  a  little  of  his  life, — 
if  he  had  a  hard  time  at  first,  etc., — he  would  not 
reply,  except  by  a  nod  of  such  solemnity  that  I 
hesitated  to  press  my  request.  Once,  while  talking 
to  us  later,  in  his  office,  he  took  a  little  book  from 
his  book-shelf,  and  opening  to  the  frontispiece  said, 
"  Where  is  the  lady  who  wanted  to  know  how  I  was 
treated,  when  I  first  came  among  these  people?" 
and  when  I  identified  myself,  he  handed  me  the 

284 


book  and  said,  "  That's  the  way  they  treated  me.'* 
Four  or  five  Indians,  in  war  paint  and  feathers, 
were  beating  a  man,  bound  hand  and  foot,  who 
was  crouched  on  the  ground,  begging  for  mercy. 

Later  he  told  us  a  few  incidents  of  his  life.  In 
1858,  when  he  reached  these  Indians,  they  were 
hostile  to  all  white  people,  and  were  the  most  savage 
tribe  on  the  coast.  They  were  cannibals,  and  Mr. 
Duncan  said  he  **  saw  them  cook  and  eat  a  slave  at 
one  time,  a  woman."  He  was  shot  at,  and  every 
means  taken  to  dispose  of  him,  and  when  I  gasped 
"  How  were  you  saved?"  he  answered,  "  Because  I 
was  protected,  and  when  the  Indians  realized  that 
some  power  unknown  to  them  protected  me,  they 
felt  powerless,  and  gave  up  their  repeated  attempts 
to  dispose  of  me."  He  worked  for  many  years 
among  them,  and  had  done  much  good,  when 
the  Bishop  of  the  English  Church  reprimanded 
him  for  laxity  of  church  discipline,  in  service 
and  liturgy,  and  demanded  form  and  ceremony, 
instead  of  the  simple  services  which  Mr.  Duncan 
had  found  more  attractive  to  the  Indian's  intel- 
lectual demand.  Mr.  Duncan  remonstrated,  and 
finally,  after  many  other  disagreeable  incidents,  he 
determined  to  seek  liberty  under  the  United  States* 
laws.  Going  to  headquarters,  at  Washington,  I  be- 
lieve, he  asked  for  land  in  the  Alaskan  territory,  and 
his  request  being  granted,  he  returned,  going  directly 
to  his  new  home.  The  Indians  heard  of  his  return, 
and  one  by  one  followed  the  man  whom  they  loved 

28s 


and  trusted.  Mr.  Duncan  said,  "  One  canoe-full 
after  another  arrived,  sometimes  fifty  canoes  in  a 
day,"  for  they  determined  to  live  with  him  wherever 
he  was.  His  settlement  of  Metlakahtla  dates  from 
August  7th,  1887.  It  is  a  model  village.  He  has 
taught  the  Indians  to  be  self-supporting ;  they  have 
learned  trades, — build  their  own  dwellings,  churches, 
and  school-houses, — have  a  cannery,  a  joint-stock 
company,  the  natives  holding  the  stock,  and  receiv- 
ing large  dividends — besides  several  other  indus- 
tries which  pay  well ;  he  taught  them  to  play  on 
musical  instruments,  and  they  are  very  proud  of 
their  band.  They  are  the  nicest  set  of  Indians  one 
can  see  anywhere,  all  well  dressed  and  most  orderly 
and  civilized.  They  number  nearly  five  hundred, 
and  their  village  is  a  marvelous  little  place.  They 
are  all  devoted  church  workers,  and  have  put  away 
their  heathenish  and  idolatrous  beliefs,  regulating 
their  little  settlement  by  rigid  and  strict  laws.  No 
work  is  ever  permitted  on  the  Sabbath,  and  as  we 
arrived  on  the  Lord's  Day,  we  had  to  wait  until  mid- 
night for  the  freight  of  canned  salmon,  the  Mexico 
had  come  to  take  away. 

As  soon  as  we  reached  the  shore,  we  made  our 
way  to  the  little  Church,  but  were  too  late  for  ser- 
vice. We  were  entertained,  however,  in  listening 
to  some  young  Indian  men  and  women  singing  relig- 
ious songs  in  English.  All  the  young  Indians  here 
speak  English.  James  was  much  impressed  by  a 
verse  over  the  little  plain  wooden  pulpit,  which  an 

286 


Indian  boy  had  painted  in  huge  bright  letters,  on  the 
wall,  and  he  copied  it  in  his  note  book  for  me  : 
"  Glory  to  our  Lord  and  King, 
Honor,  majesty. 
This  the  song  the  angels  sing 
Through  Eternity." 

We  were  especially  interested  in  a  lot  of  old  white- 
haired  men,  who  had  such  amiable  faces  and  such  a 
pleasant  greeting  for  us.  They  could  not  speak  our 
language,  but  they  held  in  their  hands,  nevertheless, 
with  great  reverence.  Bibles  in  the  English  language. 
I  spoke  to  several  old  Indian  women  and  they 
seemed  to  understand  me.  I  was  much  touched  by 
one  old  woman ;  she  told  me  much  in  a  moment  and 
only  by  gesture.  I  said,  *'  Do  you  speak  EngHsh  ?  " 
she  shook  her  head — **  no,"  and  then  taking  hold  of 
the  end  of  her  tongue,  she  looked  sadly  at  me,  and 
pointing  to  my  tongue,  shook  her  head — *'  no  " 
again.  Laying  her  hand  on  her  heart,  and  pointing 
to  my  heart  and  then  up  to  Heaven,  she  smiled  and 
nodded  her  head — "yes."  She  told  me  so  plainly, 
that  although  we  could  not  speak  the  same  tongue, 
we  both  loved  the  same  God  in  Heaven. 

Mr.  Duncan  took  us  to  his  office  and  showed  us  the 
sea-weed  food  of  the  Indians,  which  they  gather  far 
out  on  the  rocks,  dry  thoroughly,  and  either  stew  or 
eat  as  bread.  **  Eat  some,"  he  invitingly  asked. 
We  all  ate  a  little  and  quietly  one  by  one  slipped 
outside  the  little  room,  returning  as  seemingly  un- 
observed, but  to  that  little  crowd,   the  moment's 

287 


absence  spoke  volumes.  We  knew  the  short  ac- 
quaintance with  the  sea-weed  bread,  was  not  all  one's 
heart  could  desire. 

MONDAY,  AUGUST  3D. 

Wl  E  slept  pretty  well  last  night,  although  I 
awoke  when  we  left  Metlakahtla  at  1.30  A. 
M.,  and  later  also,  when  a  little  rolling  of  the  ship, 
announced  to  me  that  we  were  making  one  of  the 
very  few  sea  crossings,  and  at  half  past  five  o'clock 
I  heard  the  anchor  lowered  in  Nichol's  Bay.  The 
morning  was  exquisite  ;  the  sun  was  as  bright  and 
warm  as  mid-summer,  and  every  outline  of  the 
shore  and  islands  was  so  clearly  cut,  so  finely  chis- 
eled and  beautiful.  All  felt  jubilant,  for  we  have 
had  so  much  rain.  After  breakfast,  I  interviewed 
an  Indian  woman,  who  had  paddled  out  to  the  ship 
in  a  canoe,  with  her  family  and  a  dear  old  dog, 
whose  company  was  not  wanted  in  the  family  ark, 
and  so  he  swam  around  and  around  it,  in  circles. 
Jamie  and  I  chatted  for  awhile  with  friends,  watch- 
ing the  Captain's  caution  in  guiding  the  Mexico,  from 
Nichol's  Bay,  through  a  wonderfully  narrow  passage, 
and  as  we  steamed  out  into  Queen  Charlotte's  Sound 
or  Dixon's  Entrance,  we  settled  ourselves  in  our 
chairs,  wrapped  up  warmly  in  ulsters  and  rugs,  and 
decided  to  take  a  nap.  The  cool  sea  air  and  sun- 
shine made  us  so  drowsy,  we  soon  fell  sound  asleep, 
and  as  our  chairs  were  just  outside  our  cabin  door, 
and  necessarily  very  close  together,  we  proved  food 

288 


for  amusement  to  our  friends.  Jamie  and  I  were 
entirely  ignorant  of  the  part  we  were  playing  in  the 
comedy,  until  we  awoke,  two  hours  later,  to  find  we 
had  been  sketched,  photographed  and  viewed,  by 
almost  everyone  on  the  ship.  They  tell  us  that 
any  number  of  cameras  were  snapped  at  us ;  a  pro- 
cession filed  past  us,  to  view  the  "  sleeping  beauties  *' ; 
Captain  George,  the  pilot,  shouted  and  snored  right 
in  our  ears  ;  our  artistic  friends  took  sketches  of  us, 
and  there  we  sat,  Jamie  and  I,  for  two  hours,  per- 
fectly oblivious  of  all  this  fun-making.  How  we 
laughed  when  we  awoke,  and  how  pleased  we  were 
when  we  saw  the  sketches  and  had  them  presented 
to  us.  As  we  went  down  to  luncheon,  so  many 
said,  "  Had  a  nice  nap? — I  went  around  to  see  you," 
until  I  actually  believe  we  were  viewed  by  all. 
"Did  you  see  Mr.  B.'s  sketch  of  you?  It's  so 
good,"  and  another  said  "  Isn't  Miss  N.'s  sketch  ex- 
cellent? Your  husband's  mouth  was  wide  open, 
and  she  has  made  it  true  to  life." 

About  noon  we  steamed  into  Cordova  Bay,  and 
anchored  opposite  one  building  on  the  shore,  to  take 
on  salted  salmon.  It  is  so  queer  to  go  miles  and 
miles,  to  come  to  a  tiny  building  like  this,  and  then 
see  barrels  after  barrels  come  out  of  a  moderate 
sized  shed,  to  be  shipped.  It  brings  us  into  the 
loveliest  possible  places,  through  narrow  openings, 
into  exquisite  land-locked  bays  and  is  delightful  to 
one  not  in  haste. 

Such  exquisite  scenery  as   we  have  enjoyed  to- 


day !  As  we  turned  to  come  into  this  Bay,  the 
mountains  and  islands  were  perfectly  beautiful,  re- 
flecting all  shades  of  green  and  all  shapes  of  islands 
in  the  water,  and  we  feasted  our  eyes  upon  it,  as  if 
we  had  not  seen  anything  fine  before.  Many  pas- 
sengers went  ashore,  but  we  surmised  that  it  would 
not  be  very  attractive,  and  ^waited  until  someone 
should  return  and  report.  It  was,  as  we  thought, 
terribly  muddy  and  dirty,  and  nothing  at  all  attrac- 
tive, except  the  woods,  which  were  too  wet  for  com- 
fort. Horn  spoon  maniacs  went  on  shore  to  hunt 
for  spoons  to  polish,  for  the  craze  is  so  very  strong 
that  spoons  have  been  in  great  demand.  As  I  write, 
six  scrapers  surround  my  door,  each  expatiating  on 
the  superior  polishing  qualities  of  his  or  her  spoon, 
and  all  accompanying  their  conversation  by  the 
most  vigorous  rubs  and  scrubs.  The  deck  is  cov- 
ered with  bone  shavings,  and  sand-paper,  and  glass, 
and  dirty  hands  and  dusty  dresses  are  the  style. 
As  one  passes  along  the  deck,  in  the  stateroom 
doors  sit  young  women  and  old,  old  white-haired 
men  and  boys,  all  scraping  spoons.  The  craze  has 
struck  James;  he  is  head  over  ears  in  shavings  and 
bone-dust,  and  rubbing  as  if  his  life  depended  upon 
it. 

Opposite  our  anchorage,  and  the  only  hut  to  be 
seen,  save  one  small  cottage  near  the  *'  Salt-ery  "  (as 
it  is  called),  is  an  Indian  hut,  with  characteristic  sur- 
roundings. As  we  steamed  into  the  Bay,  it  was 
most  picturesque.     On  the  shore,  to  the  right,  was 


290 


a  tall  rafter-like  concern,  covered  thickly  with  bright 
pink  salmon,  split  open  and  turned  inside  out  to 
dry,  and  near  the  green  of  the  trees  it  presented  a 
fine  contrast.  Close  to  these  brilliant  fish  were 
brown  blankets,  drying ;  shirts  of  white  and  red  were 
also  visible  ;  up  under  the  trees  sat  the  women  with 
red  handkerchiefs  on  their  heads,  and  down  on  the 
shore  were  the  little  bare-footed  children,  crouching 
on  a  big  rock,  with  three  or  four  Siwash  dogs  roam- 
ing about.  It  is  a  very  pretty  picture,  at  a  distance. 
We  pass  miles  and  miles  of  shore,  where  not  one 
single  soul  abides ;  the  wild  animals  possess  much 
property  here,  and  roam  at  their  own  sweet  will. 
Eagles  are  plentiful,  and  almost  unnoticed  by  us 
now. 

A  gentleman  remarked  the  other  day,  in  a  dry 
way,  **  Well  inhabited  Alaska  is !  There  must  be  at 
least  one  person  to  every  thousand  miles,  in  this 
territory." 

To-night,  or  at  least  after  a  five  o*clock  dinner, 
as  we  came  up  on  deck,  Mr.  S.,  from  the  East, 
met  James  and  asked  him  if  we  would  enjoy  rowing 
with  a  party,  to  a  very  old  Indian  village,  about  five 
miles  away.  We  were  glad  indeed  to  go,  and  to 
see  anything  unusual,  out  of  the  ordinary  line  of 
sight-seeing  ;  so  about  six  o'clock  the  Third  Officer 
and  two  seamen,  took  sixteen  of  us  in  a  life-boat,  to 
the  deserted  village  of  Klinquan.  The  row  to  and 
from  the  village  was  beautiful  enough  in  itself  to 
reward  us,  if  the  place  had  not  been  of  interest.     We 

391 


rowed  around  beautiful  little  islands,  close  up  to 
rocks,  covered  with  wondrous  sea-weeds  and  purple 
star-fish.  The  browns  and  tans  of  the  sea-mosses, 
the  color  of  the  fish,  the  stones  above,  bare  and  gray, 
and  above  these  still,  the  exquisite  shades  of  green 
in  the  foliage  of  the  trees,  made  the  most  exquisite 
rainbow  effect  in  the  water,  for  the  red  glow  of  the 
sunset  furnished  the  brilliant  colors  needed.  It  was 
a  beautiful  little  trip,  and  we  felt  like  veritable  ex- 
plorers, approaching  an  unknown  buried  city.  Quite 
enclosed  by  islands,  and  protected  from  the  sea  by  a 
natural  barricade,  with  a  fine  beach  upon  which  to 
drag  canoes,  a  band  of  the  Hydah  Indians  have  set- 
tled, some  long  time  ago,  in  this  little  cove,  and 
built  themselves  houses  and  homes,  wherein  they 
dwell.  The  entire  village  consists  of  about  one 
dozen  houses,  and  not  one  soul  was  there  in  this 
little  town,  when  we  visited  it.  Every  house  was 
locked  or  barred  with  wooden  sticks,  and  not  one 
living  thing  did  we  see,  save  an  old  and  wild  cat, 
which  one  of  the  sailors  found  and  tried  to  catch. 
It  was  truly  a  deserted  village,  as  all  the  inhabitants 
were  away  fishing  and  working.  They  return  to  this 
sheltered  nook  when  winter  comes.  As  we  ap- 
proached the  little  hamlet,  an  exclamation  of  wonder 
and  delight  went  up  from  our  boat  like  a  chorus, 
for  we  had  not  seen  a  spot  like  it  in  all  Alaska. 
Fort  Wrangle  had  totem  poles  of  great  interest  and 
antiquity,  but  here  were  totem  poles  by  the  dozens, 
and  of  most  superior  quality.      As   I  have  men- 

292 


tioned  before,  these  poles  are  the  historical  records 
of  the  family.  Any  family  having  enough  history 
to  erect  and  furnish  a  pole,  is  honored  by  all  sur- 
rounding tribes.  These  totem  poles  belong,  how- 
ever, to  an  age  that  is  passing  swiftly  along,  for 
many  customs  of  these  people  are  being  abandoned, 
as  the  Indians  become  better  educated.  Antiquity 
consequently,  of  tribe  and  people,  is  made  known 
by  means  of  these  signs  and  symbols.  Klinquan 
contains  about  twelve  houses,  and  more  than  sixty 
totem  poles  of  the  most  marvelous  workmanship. 
Some  carved  trees  were  so  huge,  it  was  a  marvel 
how  they  were  ever  conveyed  to  their  present  loca- 
tion, and  even  when  brought  and  carved,  how  they 
were  ever  stood  up  and  placed  in  the  ground.  They 
are  carved  in  the  most  curious  designs,  in  the  most 
grotesque  figures,  and  yet  all  most  symmetrically 
done.  Such  huge  eyes  as  the  monsters  have,  such  a 
queer  arrangement  of  figures,  such  marvelous  orna- 
ments to  crown  the  top.  The  Bear  Tribe  always 
surmounts  each  of  their  totems  with  a  huge  crouch- 
ing bear,  marvelously  done.  In  looking  up  at  one 
to-night,  we  discovered  in  each  claw  a  good  repre- 
sentation of  a  human  face.  An  eagle,  with  out- 
stretched wings,  surmounted  several  columns,  and  an 
Indian  with  huge  ancient  hat,  such  as  the  Chief 
Kadishan  wore,  when  we  took  his  photograph,  was 
several  times  repeated.  One  curious  thing  was, 
that  on  top  of  one  tall  slim  pole,  a  cunning  little 
figure  of  a  man,  was  poised  on  one  foot,  on  a  ball, 

293 


with  the  other  leg  and  his  arms  outstretched,  just 
like  the  figure  of  Victory,  on  the  14th  of  July  col- 
umn, in  Paris.  The  question  arose,  where  did  these 
Hydah  Indians  get  the  idea  for  that  figure  ?  Was 
it  wafted  to  them  across  the  waters,  or  did  the  same 
genius  burn  in  some  Indian  brain,  as  in  the  brain  of 
the  artist  who  designed  the  French  model  ?  It  was 
a  marked  feature  in  that  collection  of  totems.  Some 
of  them  are  mostly  grotesque,  others  mysterious  and 
solemn,  and  all  stood  about  that  collection  of  little 
huts,  like  sentinels  on  duty.  We  were  much  inter- 
ested also  in  some  graves,  and  the  peculiar  fencing 
about  them.  Around  one  chief's  grave,  was  a  high 
fence,  and  on  each  corner  stood,  what  seemed  to  us, 
a  white  china  milk  pitcher.  On  examination  we 
found  that  the  pitchers  were  carved  out  of  wood, 
and  painted  white  to  look  like  china.  Queer  little 
summer-houses  were  built  over  some  graves. 

The  officer  found  a  most  interesting  ruin  of  a 
house,  into  which  we  went.  It  was  built  like  all 
Indian  houses,  with  a  square  and  two  tiers  around, 
and  the  sides  of  wood,  two  feet  and  a  half  deep, 
were  most  beautifully  carved.  We  had  much  ex- 
citement in  landing,  and  in  getting  away  also.  We 
reached  there  at  half  tide,  and  could  not  make  a 
good  landing,  so  the  men  held  the  oars  together, 
putting  one  end  on  land,  the  other  on  the  boat,  and 
we  crawled  across  that  way.  But  our  visit  thoroughly 
paid  us,  and  we  decided  it  was  one  of  the  features  of 
the  trip. 

a94 


Five  people  from  our  ship,  had  been  to  this  same 
spot  in  the  afternoon.  Seeing  a  pole,  with  a  queer 
box-like  thing  on  top,  they  gave  it  a  vigorous  blow 
and  down  it  came,  with  a  crash.  Imagine  their 
surprise,  when  bones  and  dust  came  tumbling  out 
and  an  Indian  skull,  with  hair  and  flesh  still  on  it, 
but  dried  like  a  mummy's  skull.  They  left  it,  hor- 
rified at  what  they  had  unwittingly  done,  and  sick- 
ened by  the  sight  of  the  life-like  head. 

We  reached  the  Mexico  at  lo  P.  M. 

TUESDAY,  AUGUST  4TH. 

\\J  E  were  all  much  concerned  last  night,  when  we 
went  to  bed,  over  Baron  Von  B.'s  non-ap- 
pearance. He  is  a  German,  a  magnificent  specimen 
of  a  man,  of  glorious  physical  proportions,  and  an 
indefatigable  hunter.  He  has  been  in  Alaska  hunting 
for  some  time,  and  we  took  the  Baron  and  Baroness 
on  board  at  Juneau.  We  left  the  Baron  yesterday 
at  Nichol's  Bay  ;  he  was  to  hunt  and  then  join  our 
ship  at  Cordova  Bay,  and  a  young  Indian  was  his 
guide.  He  did  not  put  in  an  appearance  until  this 
morning  at  7  A.  M.,  when  the  Mexico  was  on  her  way 
to  find  him.  It  seemed  he  became  interested,  had 
shot  two  deer;  his  Indian  guide  lost  his  head  and  his 
way,  and  they  had  a  dreadful  time.  The  Baron  was 
too  heavy  for  the  canoe,  which  was  old  and  rotten, 
and  they  had  to  bail  out  the  water  every  minute,  and 
expected  to  go  to  the  bottom,  at  short  notice. 
We  left  Cordova  Bay  as  soon  as  he  was  on  board, 

29s 


and  we  have  had  a  lovely  sunshiny  day,  and  a  most 
exquisite  sail.  We  had  about  sixty  miles  of  sea 
to-day,  but  we  had  to  ask  when  we  were  at  sea,  it  was 
so  calm  and  pond-like.  Jamie  and  I  slept  in  our 
chairs  again  this  morning,  but  I  kept  one  eye  open, 
and  watched  photographers  and  sketchers,  whenever 
they  appeared. 

After  dinner,  we  all  gathered  on  the  forward  deck, 
tied  a  ladder  to  a  ventilator,  and  had  a  "living  totem 
pole."  We  arranged  our  little  crowd  in  tiers ;  all 
held  horn  spoons  or  some  Indian  curio  in  our  hands, 
and  had  our  photograph  taken.  Dr.  N.  and  I  were 
"  photographers  royal,"  but  numerous  Kodaks  were 
snapped  on  us.  We  numbered  about  twenty  in  all, 
but  our  audience  numbered  nearly  a  hundred.  We 
had  a  fine  time,  as  we  all  know  one  another  so  well 
now,  and  we  had  the  jolliest  kind  of  an  evening  af- 
terwards. We  enjoyed  the  beautiful  sunset  and  af- 
ter glory,  which  lasted  until  nearly  ten  o'clock.  It 
was  "  one  of  those  heavenly  days  that  cannot  die." 
Then  we  went  to  supper,  after  which  we  assembled 
on  the  hurricane  deck,  sang  rounds,  and  danced, and 
finally,  seeing  a  steamer  approaching,  we  all  gathered 
together  to  give  a  song  of  greeting,  which  we 
shouted  with  all  our  might,  as  the  stranger  passed 
us.  The  phosphorescence  in  the  waves,  as  we 
ploughed  our  way  along,  was  perfectly  beautiful,  like 
melted  silver,  and  full  of  bright  and  glittering  stars, 
and  made  a  wondrous  light,  like  electricity. 


096 


WEDNESDAY,  AUGUST   5TH. 

"P  N  route  all  day,  with  beautiful  sunshine  most 
all  the  way,  although  we  had  some  fog  in 
Queen  Charlotte's  Sound.  The  morning  was  not 
eventful  ;  Jamie  and  I  had  a  nap  again  until  lunch- 
eon, after  which  Mrs.  D.  and  a  party  of  six  or  more, 
settled  themselves  with  us  in  our  corner,  and  we 
polished  and  scraped  spoons  until  about  three 
o'clock,  when  Miss  N.  came  to  see  me  and  we  shut 
ourselves  in  my  little  room  for  a  chat  alone.  Mr. 
McD.,  a  most  interesting  man,  who  has  lived  for 
twenty  years  or  more  in  British  Columbia,  as  over- 
seer of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  is  on  thQ  Mexico, 
on  his  journey  home.  He  had  interesting  curios  in 
his  trunk  in  the  hold,  made  by  the  Indians,  three  or 
four  hundred  miles  in  the  interior,  and  offered  to 
show  them  to  James  and  me,  but  to  no  one  else,  ex- 
cept Miss  K.  (who  was  with  me).  We  made  a 
secret  trip  down,  and  he  showed  us  some  interesting 
things — Indian  work  on  leather  of  porcupine  quills, 
dyed  different  colors,  blankets  for  his  four  dogs,  who 
dragged  him  all  over  the  snows  in  those  Arctic 
regions,  and  he  ended  by  presenting  me  with  an  in- 
teresting piece  of  work,  made  by  an  Indian  of  the 
Cascar  tribe,  who  lives  three  hundred  miles  beyond 
Fort  Wrangle. 

Our  evening  was  just  like  last  night,  only  we  did 
not  sing  en  masse,  but  Miss  C.  gave  us  a  treat  with 
her  lovely  voice.    This  life  is  most  fascinating  to  us, 

297 


with  its  rest  and  perfect  freedom  from  care,  and 
there  are  so  many  interesting  people  on  the  Mexico, 
that  one  can  hear  words  of  wisdom,  and  learn  some- 
thing every  day.  One  of  our  passengers  is  Mrs.  A. 
who  has  made  quite  a  trip  in  Alaska,  staying  more 
than  two  weeks  in  Fort  Wrangle,  and  also  in  Juneau 
and  Sitka.  She  is  full  of  interesting  Indian  legends 
and  folklore,  and  entertained  us  to-night  by  a  little 
talk,  as  we  all  stood  out  in  the  bow,  viewing  the 
magnificent  scenery.  It  was  glorious  to-night ;  the 
sunset  was  like  liquid  gold,  and  the  rose  and  violet 
shades  on  the  mountains,  which  assume  such  glori- 
ous tints  in  the  twilight  hour,  were  more  radiant 
than  ever.  Our  constant  attendants,  the  snow 
mountains,  have  been  left  behind  a  little  now,  as  we 
are  nearing  warmer  latitudes,  but  once  in  a  while,  a 
great  giant  in  white  raises  his  head  above  the  sur- 
rounding greenness,  and  gives  us  a  look,  as  we  steam 
along,  and  makes  us  long  to  turn  again  and  hurry 
northward,  for  one  more  glance  at  those  circles  of 
great  and  glorious  grandeur. 

THURSDAY,   AUGUST  6TH. 

JAMES  was  up  and  dressed  for  breakfast,  as  usual, 
this  morning,  but  as  it  was  pouring  hard,  and 
was  cold  and  damp,  he  did  not  waken  me,  and  I  was 
not  conscious  of  much  in  the  wide-awake  world, 
until  the  big  whistle  of  the  Mexico  announced  that 
we  had  reached  somewhere,  and  looking  out  of  my 
window,  I  recognized  Departure  Bay.    We  had  been 

298 


steaming  along  for  forty-eight  hours  and  it  was  good 
to  stop.  We  remained  only  until  half  past  ten 
o'clock,  long  enough,  however,  to  send  to  Nanaimo, 
for  the  ship's  mail,  as  well  as  to  send  telegrams. 
Jamie  sent  one  home,  as  being  three  days  late  in 
reaching  Tacoma,  we  feared  there  might  be  some 
little  anxiety  felt  by  the  three  loved  ones  at  home. 
Nothing  to  chronicle  so  far,  except  that  our  good 
friends,  Mrs.  N.  with  her  daughter  and  son,  have  de- 
cided, instead  of  stopping  at  Victoria,  to  go  with  us 
to  Tacoma  ;  then  we  five  move  along  next  week  to 
Portland  and  take  the  trip  on  the  Columbia  River 
together.  I  wrote  all  this  afternoon  while  James 
slept. 

About  seven  o'clock  to-night  we  reached  Victoria, 
and  at  once  some  of  our  Mexico  family  went  up  into 
town.  It  was  rainy  and  disagreeable,  and  we  de- 
cided to  wait  until  morning  for  our  trip.  We 
watched  the  people  moving  about,  saw  the  "  Steamer 
Queen^'  come  in  with  her  load  of  Alaskan  travelers, 
and  rejoiced  that  we  were  not  of  the  number,  for 
although  much  more  palatial,  she  goes  too  fast  to 
suit  us. 

This  afternoon,  as  I  came  up  from  luncheon.  Miss 
W.,  a  clever  women,  offered  me  copies  of  Mr.  Dun- 
can's little  paper,  called  The  MetlakahtlaUy  printed 
in  Metlakahtla.  In  one  tiny  sheet  of  November, 
1889,  was  a  letter  by  Mr.  D.,  and  the  preface  says, 
'*  Having  been  frequently  asked  to  give  some  ex- 
planation of  the  peculiar  carving,  found  among  the 

299 


natives  of  this  coast,  I  think  it  well  to  insert  in  The 
Metlakahtlatiy  the  following  letter,  written  last  sum- 
mer to  a  friend  in  Washington."  I  have  just  copied 
the  letter,  omitting  a  short  paragraph  in  the  begin- 
ning. I  have  copied  it,  because  it  seemed  to  give 
such  a  good  idea  of  the  carving  and  use  of  the  totem 
poles. 

In  this  letter,  Mr.  Duncan  tells  of  the  opera- 
tions of  the  silversmith,  in  making  silver  spoons  out 
of  silver  dollars.  He  says,  "  the  designs  they  cut  on 
the  spoons,  are  peculiar  to  the  carving  and  painting 
of  the  Indians  in  this  country,  and  are  symbolical 
of  the  curious  crests  or  totems  (as  they  are  some- 
times called),  which  seem  to  have  been  adopted  in 
far  back  ages,  to  distinguish  the  four  social  classes, 
into  which  each  band  is  divided.  The  names  of 
these  four  classes  in  the  Tsimshean  language  are, 
Kish-poot-wodda,  Canaddo,  Lack-a-boo,  and  Lacksh- 
keak." 

"  The  Kish-poot-wodda,  by  far  the  most  numer- 
ous hereabouts,  are  represented  symbolically  by  the 
fin-back  whale  in  the  sea,  the  grizzly  bear  on  land, 
the  grouse  in  the  air,  and  the  sun  and  stars  in  the 
heavens." 

**  The  Canaddo  symbols  are  the  frog,  the  raven, 
starfish  and  the  bull-head." 

"The  Lackaboo  takes  the  wolf,  the  heron  and 
the  grizzly  bear  for  totems." 

"  The  Lacksh-keak,  the  eagle,  the  beaver  and  the 
halibut." 

300 


"  The  creatures  I  have  just  named,  are  however, 
only  regarded  as  the  visible  representatives  of  the 
powerful  and  mystical  beings,  or  genii,  of  Indian  my- 
thology, and  as  all  of  one  group  are  said  to  be  of 
one  kindred,  so  all  the  members  of  the  same  class, 
whose  heraldic  symbols  are  the  same,  are  counted 
as  blood  relations.  Strange  to  say,  this  relationship 
holds  good,  should  the  person  belong  to  different, 
or  even  hostile  tribes,  speak  a  totally  different  lan- 
guage, or  be  located  thousands  of  miles  apart.  On 
being  asked  to  explain  how  this  notion  of  relation- 
ship originated,  or  why  it  is  perpetuated  in  the  face 
of  so  many  obliterating  circumstances,  the  Indian 
points  back  to  a  remote  age,  when  their  ancestors 
lived  in  a  beautiful  land,  and  where  in  a  mysterious 
manner,  the  mystical  creatures,  whose  symbols  they 
retain,  revealed  themselves  to  the  heads  of  the 
family  of  that  day." 

'*  They  can  relate  the  traditional  story  of  an  over- 
whelming flood,  which  came  and  submerged  the 
land,  and  spread  death  and  destruction  all  around. 
Those  of  the  ancients  who  escaped  in  canoes,  were 
drifted  about  and  scattered  in  every  direction  on 
the  face  of  the  waters,  and  where  they  found  them- 
selves after  the  flood  had  subsided,  there  they  lo- 
cated and  formed  new  tribal  associations.  Thus  it 
was  that  persons  related  by  blood,  became  widely 
severed  from  each  other ;  nevertheless  they  retained 
and  clung  to  the  symbols  which  had  distinguished 
them  and  their  respective  families  before  the  flood ; 

301 


and  all  succeeding  generations  have,  in  this  particu- 
lar, sacredly  followed  suit.  Hence  it  is  the  crests 
have  continued  to  mark  the  offspring  of  the  original 
founders  of  each  family." 

"  As  it  may  interest  you  to  know,  to  what  prac- 
tical uses  the  natives  apply  their  crests,  I  will  enum- 
erate those  which  have  come  under  my  own 
notice." 

**  First.  As  I  have  previously  mentioned,  crests 
sub-divide  tribes  into  social  clans,  and  a  union  of 
crest  is  a  closer  bond  than  a  tribal  union." 

"  Second.  It  is  the  ambition  of  all  leading  mem- 
bers of  each  clan,  in  the  several  tribes,  to  represent, 
by  carving  or  painting,  their  heraldic  symbols  on  all 
their  belongings,  not  omitting  even  their  house- 
hold utensils,  as  spoons,  and  dishes,  and  on  the 
death  of  the  head  of  a  family,  a  totem  pole  is 
erected  in  front  of  his  house  by  his  successor,  on 
which  is  carved  and  painted,  more  or  less  elaborately, 
the  symbolic  creatures  of  his  clan,  as  they  appear  in 
some  mythological  tale  or  legend." 

"  Third.  The  crests  define  the  bounds  of  con- 
sanguinity, and  persons  having  the  same  crest  are 
forbidden  to  intermarry ;  that  is,  a  frog  may  not 
marry  a  frog,  nor  a  whale  marry  a  whale  ;  but  a  frog 
may  marry  a  wolf,  and  a  whale  may  marry  an  eagle. 
Among  some  of  the  Alaskan  tribes,  I  am  told  the 
marriage  restrictions  are  still  further  narrowed,  and 
persons  of  different  crests  may  not  intermarry,  if  the 
creatures  of  their  respective  clans  have  the  same  in- 


stincts.  Thus  a  Canaddo  may  not  marry  a  Lacksh- 
keak,  because  the  raven  X)f  the  one  crest  and  the 
eagle  of  the  other,  seek  and  devour  the  same  kind 
of  food.  Again,  the  Kish-poot-wodda  may  not 
marry  a  Lackaboo,  because  the  grizzly  bear  and  wolf, 
representing  those  crests,  are  both  carnivorous." 

"  Fourth.  All  the  children  take  the  mother's 
crest,  and  are  incorporated  as  members  of  the 
mother's  family,  nor  do  they  designate,  or  regard 
their  father's  family  as  their  relations.  A  man's 
heir  and  successor,  therefore,  is  not  his  own  son, 
but  his  sister's  son,  and  in  the  case  of  a  woman  be- 
ing married  into  a  distant  tribe,  away  from  her  rela- 
tions, the  offspring  of  such  union,  when  grown  up, 
will  leave  their  parents  and  go  to  their  mother's 
tribe,  and  take  their  respective  place  in  their  mother's 
family.  This  law  accounts  for  the  great  interest 
which  natives  take  in  their  nephews  and  nieces, 
which  seems  to  be  quite  equal  to  the  interest  they 
take  in  their  own  children." 

"  Fifth.  The  clan  relationship  also  regulates  all 
feasting.  A  native  never  invites  the  members  of 
his  own  crest  to  a  feast ;  they  being  regarded  as  his 
blood  relations,  are  always  welcome  as  his  guests  ; 
but  at  feasts  which  are  given  only  for  display,  so  far 
from  being  partakers  of  the  bounty,  all  the  clansmen, 
within  a  reasonable  distance,  are  expected  to  con- 
tribute of  their  means  and  their  services  gratuitously, 
to  make  the  feast  a  success.  On  the  fame  of  the 
feast,  hangs  the  honor  of  the  clan." 

303 


"  Sixth.  What  I  have  just  written  reminds  me  to 
add,  this  social  brotherhood  has  a  great  deal  to  do 
with  promoting  hospitality  among  the  Indians,  a 
matter  of  immense  importance,  in  a  country  without 
hotels,  or  restaurants.  A  stranger,  with  or  without 
his  family,  in  visiting  an  Indian  village,  need  never 
be  at  a  loss  for  shelter  ;  all  he  has  to  do  is  to  make 
for  the  house  belonging  to  one  of  his  crest,  and 
which  he  can  easily  distinguish  by  the  totem  pole 
in  front  of  it.  There  he  is  sure  of  a  welcome,  and  of 
the  best  the  host  can  afford.  There  he  is  accounted 
a  brother,  and  treated  and  trusted  as  such." 

"  Seventh.  I  may  mention  too,  that  the  sub-divis- 
ion of  the  bands  into  their  social  clans,  accounts  in 
some  measure  for  the  number  of  petty  chiefs  exist- 
ing in  each  tribe,  as  each  clan  can  boast  of  its  head- 
man. The  more  property  a  clan  accumulates  and 
gives  away  to  rival  clans,  the  greater  number  of  head 
men  it  may  have." 

*'  Eighth.  Another  prominent  nise  made  by  the 
natives  of  their  heraldic  symbols  is,  that  they  take 
names  from  them  for  their  children  ;  for  instance, 
Wee-nay-ach — '  big  fin  *  (whale).  Lee-tahm-lach-ta 
— *  sitting  on  the  ice  *  (eagle).  Iksh-co-am-alyah — 
**  the  first  speaker  "  (raven  in  the  morning).  Athl- 
kah-kout — *  the  howler  travelling  '  (wolf)." 

"  Ninth.  And  last,  but  not  least,  the  kinship 
claimed  and  maintained  in  each  tribe,  by  the  method 
of  crests,  has  much  to  do  with  preventing  blood- 
feuds,  and  also  in  restoring  the  peace,  when  quarrels 

304 


and  fighting  have  ensued.  Tribes,  or  sections  there- 
of, may  and  do  fight,  but  members  of  the  same  social 
clan  may  not  fight.  Hence,  in  contests  between  two 
tribes,  there  always  remains  in  each,  some  non-com- 
batants who  will  watch  the  opportunity  to  interpose 
their  offices,  in  the  interest  of  peace  and  order.  In 
case  too,  of  a  marauding  party  being  out  to  secure 
slaves,  should  they  find  one  or  more  of  their  victims 
to  be  of  their  own  crest,  such  a  person  would  be  set 
free,  and  be  incorporated  as  a  member  of  their 
family,  while  the  captives  of  other  crests  would  be 
held  or  sold  as  slaves.** 

"  In  writing  of  these  matters,  it  must  be  under- 
stood that  I  have  kept  in  view  the  natives  in  their 
primitive  state.  The  Metlakathlans  who  are  civil- 
ized, while  retaining  their  crest  distinctions  and  up- 
holding the  good  and  salutary  regulations  connected 
therewith,  have  dropped  all  the  baneful  and  heathen- 
ish rivalry  with  which  the  clannish  system  was  in- 
timately associated." 

"  Yours  respect.,** 

(Signed)  "  W.  DUNCAN.** 

FRIDAY,  AUGUST  ^TH. 

T  T  was  perfectly  lovely  this  morning,  so  sunny  and 
bright,  and  at  half  past  eight  o'clock,  James  and 
I  started  in  a  hansom,  for  the  shops  of  Victoria. 
Mr.  McD.  our  Hudson  Bay  Co.  friend,  met  us,  to 
look  about  a  little  with  us,  and  he  is  such  a  whole- 
souled  lovely  man,  James  and  I  enjoyed  him  greatly. 

30s 


We  skipped  about  from  shop  to  shop,  constantly 
meeting  our  friends  and  fellow-passengers,  and  about 
eleven  o'clock  we  turned  our  faces  toward  the  ship, 
and  returned  to  the  dear  old  Mexico,  bidding  our 
new  friend  good-bye,  as  he  was  about  to  start  in  a 
few  hours,  for  his  home  in  Winnipeg.  We  had 
hardly  reached  the  Mexico  and  exchanged  notes 
with  all  our  friends,  as  to  bargains,  etc.,  when  to 
our  surprise,  Mr.  McD.  whom  we  had  just  a  half 
hour  before  bade  good-bye,  and  left  in  excellent 
spirits,  appeared  before  us,  with  red  eyes,  and  a 
black-bordered  letter  in  his  hand.  I  saw  in  a  moment 
that  some  sorrow  had  come  to  him,  and  calling  Jamie 
and  me  aside,  he  told  us  that  after  we  left  him,  he 
had  received  and  read  the  letter  he  then  held,  telling 
him  that  his  favorite  brother — the  one  whom  he 
anticipated  meeting  more  than  any  one  else — was 
dead  and  buried.  The  great  strong  man  covered 
his  face  with  his  hands,  and  turned  to  go  away,  but 
James  and  I  opened  our  cabin  door,  and  took  him 
into  the  little  room  for  a  few  minutes.  He  was 
completely  unnerved  and  had  come  to  us  for  sym- 
pathy. He  had  looked  forward  like  a  boy,  to  his 
home-coming ;  now  anticipation  and  joy  were  crushed 
by  this  unexpected  and  saddest  of  sorrows.  Only 
yesterday  I  made  the  remark,  that  I  wondered  if  all 
of  our  passengers  would  reach  shore,  without  some, 
or  many,  finding  sad  tidings  awaiting  them,  and  as 
the  disciples  of  old  asked  the  Master,  at  the  Last 
Supper,  "  Lord,  is  it  I  ? "  so  the  same  query  went 

306 


up  from  my  heart,  with  a  prayer  for  mercy. 
Anxiety  was  mine  for  a  little,  for  who  has  nerves  so 
strong  that  they  can  battle  with  such  moments,  and 
conquer  every  fear  and  dread. 

We  left  Victoria  about  one  o'clock,  and  the  after- 
noon was  spent  by  all,  in  the  disagreeable  duty  of 
packing,  as  we  land  to-morrow.  It  was  a  trying 
operation,  and  not  very  good  for  the  proper  develop- 
ment of  patience  and  sweetness  of  temper,  as  we  are 
all  agreed. 

About  four  o'clock  we  reached  Port  Townsend, 
but  no  one  went  ashore  until  after  dinner.  Then 
Mrs.  N.  the  Dr.  and  R.,  Commander  and  Mrs.  C, 
Miss  C.  and  Miss  E.,  with  Jamie  and  myself,  started 
out  and  having  nothing  to  do,  or  see,  or  buy,  we 
took  an  electric  car  and  rode  around  the  city  twice. 
We  were  merry  and  made  fun  out  of  nothing. 

A  letter  was  awaiting  me  here  from  Miss  Thursby, 
asking  me  to  advise  her  about  going  to  Alaska,  on 
the  next  trip  of  the  Mexico,  She  had  been  singing  in 
this  neighborhood,  and  would  have  waited  to  greet 
us,  if  she  had  not  been  engaged  to  sing  somewhere 
else.      I  wrote  her  to-night  advising  her  to  go. 

There  is  a  genuine  sadness  in  the  air  to-day,  a 
depression  one  cannot  escape,  for  the  pleasant  life 
on  ship-board  is  soon  to  be  given  up, — the  familiar 
every-day  friendships  to  be  no  more,  and  the  life  on 
shore,  with  its  heat  and  dusty  railroads,  to  be  our 
lot  once  again.  Jamie's  last  remark  to-night,  as  he 
hurried  to  sleep,  was — "  oh.  May, — don't  you  hate  to 

307 


leave  the  dear  old  ship/'  and  I  do.  It  has  been  a 
restful  home  and  shelter  to  us  for  twenty-three  days, 
and  the  very  discomforts  and  trials  and  deprivations, 
have  become  dear  to  us.  Our  tiny  room  has  grown 
to  quite  palatial  proportions ;  although  at  first  we 
could  only  dress  one  at  a  time, — now  we  can  both 
array  ourselves,  with  only  occasional  bumps  and 
thumps.  Fussiness  is  a  thing  of  the  past,  order  a 
necessity,  but  not  requiring  energy  or  time  to 
produce.  Our  last  night  on  our  comfortable  little 
shelves !  I  hope  more  chances  may  be  ours  in 
future,  for  the  same  sweet  blissful  rest.  The  wonder- 
ful scenery  will  then  be  well-known  by  us,  and  yet 
it  will  be  inspiring  in  its  greatness  and  grandeur. 

f 
SATURDAY,  AUGUST  8TH. 

"IXTE  were  all  up  at  six  o'clock  this  morning; — 
breakfast  was  at  seven,  but  James  and  Dr. 
N.  had  been  up  to  "The  Tacoma"  before  that 
meal,  to  secure  rooms.  About  8.30,  we  all  be- 
gan to  leave  the  dear  old  Mexico,  but  it  was  hard 
work,  and  we  hung  around  as  long  as  we  could. 
Finally,  we  made  up  our  minds  that  lingering  only 
prolonged  the  agony,  so  we  made  a  grand  rush  for 
the  carriage.  With  Jamie's  first  awakening  con- 
sciousness this  morning,  he  groaned  aloud,  and  ex- 
claimed with  a  sigh, — "  Isn't  it  awful  to  think  of 
trains,  and  heat,  and  dust  again  ?  "  The  heat  seemed 
to  open  its  arms  wide  to  us,  as  we  drove  to  the 
hotel,  Mrs.  N.  and  R.,  Jamie  and  I  in  one  carriage. 

308 


As  we  neared  the  hotel,  my  one  thought  was  to  get 
somewhere,  where  I  could  read  our  letters  from  home, 
which  Jamie  had  brought  to  me,  but  as  we  entered 
the  doorway,  whom  should  I  behold  but  Aunt  Mary, 
who  immediately  exclaimed,  **  I've  been  waiting 
three  weeks  for  you,  to  finish  your  trip  with  you." 

We  three  went  to  our  room,  and  I  read  the  let- 
ters from  home  aloud,  which  took  some  time.  We 
then  wandered  out  to  find  a  photographer,  to  de- 
velop our  films,  and  returning,  after  luncheon,  we 
came  to  our  room  to  rest. 

The  evening  was  spent  with  Auntie  and  the  N.s, 
hstening  to  the  Spanish  Students'  delightful  music, 
and  regretting  that  we  were  not  on  the  good  old 
MexicOy  for  another  trip. 

It  is  no  hardship  to  return  to  Tacoma,  for  it  is 
the  brightest  of  little  towns.  The  business  streets 
are  as  lively  and  crowded,  and  the  stores  are  as 
good,  as  any  in  a  larger  and  older  city.  To  be  sure, 
the  pavements  on  the  streets  and  sidewalks  are  of 
wood,  but  the  buildings  are  many,  and  really  very 
fine  and  imposing,  and  altogether,  Tacoma  impresses 
us  wonderfully.  There  are  about  forty-five  thou- 
sand people  here,  and  they  are  mostly  Eastern  peo- 
ple, and  full  of  energy  and  ambition.  Tacoma's 
chief  charm,  as  to  location,  is  not  so  much  its  posi- 
tion on  an  arm  of  Puget  Sound,  as  the  great  snow 
mountain,  which  guards  it  day  and  night.  Mt.  Ran- 
ier,  14,444  feet  above  the  sea  level,  is  a  grand  moun- 
tain, and  peeps  from  the  clouds  early  every  morn- 

309 


ing,  and  stands  sentinel  all  day  in  its  beauty.  It  is 
all  snow,  and  is  glorious, — pink  like  a  shell  at  sun- 
set, and  then  amber,  and  sometimes  violet.  If  one 
ever  feels  tired  of  buildings  and  streets,  they  have 
only  to  turn  their  eyes  toward  Ranier,  and  they  find 
food  for  reflection  for  many  a  long  day. 


COLUMBIA  RIVER  AND  MT.  HOOD 


SUNDAY,  AUGUST  9TH,  MONDAY,  AUGUST  lOTH, 
TUESDAY,  AUGUST  IITH. 

nPHESE  three  uninteresting,  common-place  days, 
must  be  treated  collectively. 

Sunday  morning,  Jamie  and  I  remained  in  our 
room,  and  did  not  appear  until  luncheon.  In  the 
afternoon,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.,  of  Tacoma,  called,  and 
were  with  us  for  a  couple  of  hours.  Dinner  being  over, 
we  sat  quietly  on  the  piazza.  We  were  all  feeling 
the  reaction  of  our  trip,  and  the  change  from  cool 
to  warm  weather  again. 

Monday  morning,  after  a  late  breakfast,  we  all 
went  to  see  and  pronounce  verdicts  upon  the  Kodak 
films, — which  took  some  time.  Luncheon  over,  we 
went  to  work  at  our  packing,  for  James  was  anxious 
to  get  the  freight  box  off,  with  our  Alaska  curios, 
chairs,  rugs,  etc.  Company  all  the  evening,  ended 
a  hum-drum  day. 

Tuesday  morning  was  spent  out  with  our  little 
party  until  noon ;  then  the  finishing  touches  were 
put  to  the  box,  and  James  went  to  start  it  on  its 
way,  while  I  went  to  drive  with  the  three  N.s,  seeing 

31X 


many  views  of  Puget  Sound  and  fine  homes  and 
residences.  We  danced  in  the  evening,  and  I  wrote  a 
letter  home. 

WEDNESDAY,    AUGUST    I2TH. 

"XlyTE  started  for  Portland  at  1 1.40  A.  M.,  with  the 
N.s.  It  was  a  decidedly  tiresome  and  dusty 
journey,  miserably  warm,  and  we  were  royally  glad 
to  reach  Portland,  about  6.40  P.  M.  A  brush  off  and 
dinner,  then  a  chat  with  Miss  H. — a  resident  of 
Portland, — and  a  fellow  MeArico-ltey  and  a  good-night 
to  all  except  Miss  Thursby,  who  had  sent  us  word 
to  come  to  her  room,  after  her  concert  was  over.  I 
was  with  her  until  about  twelve  o'clock,  and  when  she 
asked,  "  Shall  we  go  to  Alaska  on  the  Mexico  ?  "  my 
enthusiasm  decided  her,  and  they  left  the  very  next 
morning.  If  stormy,  so  that  they  cannot  enjoy  the 
scenery,  she  can  say,  like  a  lady  I  heard  of  last 
night,  "  she  went  to  Alaska,  not  to  see  the  scenery, 
but  for  the  air" 

THURSDAY,  AUGUST   13TH. 

"^[O  one  put  in  an  appearance  until  luncheon  time, 
after  which  we  five  took  a  drive  all  over  Port- 
land, seeing  the  city  thoroughly  and  some  fine  views. 
Portland  has  some  magnificent  streets,  palatial 
homes,  and  is  a  delightful  city  in  many  respects. 
Mr.  C,  of  the  Mexico^  called  to-night.  We  found 
Miss  C.  and  Miss  E.  at  "The  Portland,"  also  Mr. 

313 


and  Mrs.  S.,  of  Summit,  and  we  had  a  little  reunion, 
and  all  went  together  to  call  on  Miss  H.,  and  had  a 
pleasant  time. 

FRIDAY,  AUGUST    I4TH. 

T  N  fear  and  trembling,  without  courage  or  enthu- 
siasm,  we  five  sallied  forth  this  morning 
for  our  trip  down  to  "The  Dalles."  Disap- 
pointment, and  lack  of  anticipation  were  manifested, 
by  our  low  spirits  and  our  sober  faces.  Last 
night,  when  we  returned  from  our  drive,  with  the 
tickets  for  our  trip  bought  and  paid  for,  and  every 
arrangement  made,  we  met  friends  who  had  two 
hours  before  returned  from  the  same  experience. 
"  Don't  go,"  they  cried,  '*  it's  stupid,  horrid,  wretched, 
no  money  would  hire  us  to  go  again  !  Oh,  how  I 
pity  you,"  they  added.  We  turned  to  each  other 
and  tried  to  look  as  brave  as  lions.  We  thought 
they  were  tired  and  cross,  but  ze/^  would  have  a  good 
time.  While  at  dinner  Mrs.  B.  passed  me,  and 
knowing  they  had  taken  a  trip  part  way  to  "  The 
Dalles  "  that  very  day,  I  asked  them  how  they  liked 
it.  "Well,"  they  answered,  "after  Alaska  it  is 
tame,  in  fact,  it  is  hardly  worth  the  time  and  money, 
unless  you  have  plenty  of  both  on  your  hands." 
Had  the  bottom  gone  out  of  the  world,  or  had  all 
our  "  Dalles  Friends,"  or  those  who  had  taken  the 
trip,  deliberately  lied?  A  more  forlorn,  dejected  set 
were  never  found.  A  sort  of  gasp,  and  a  "  we're  in 
for  it "  expression,  settled  like  the  shades  of  night 

313 


upon  us,  and  we  were  crushed,  and  had  little  heart 
in  the  next  day's  doing. 

At  half-past  four  o'clock  we  were  awakened,  and 
prepared  for  our  trip  by  half-past  five,  and  as  Jamie 
expressed  it,  "we  all  wished  we  were  just  coming 
back,  instead  of  starting."  Reaching  the  boat, 
which  seemed  to  our  sleepy  eyes  to  be  named 
**  Furline  "  but  which  proved  to  be  Lurline,  we  were 
further  discouraged,  for  we  beheld  a  regular  Mis- 
sissippi stern  wheel  affair,  and  anything  but  at- 
tractive. They  say  "blessings  brighten  as  they 
take  their  flight,"  and  so  as  we  sailed  along 
the  Willamette  River,  to  its  junction  with  the 
Columbia,  we  began  to  think  we  were  not  in  such 
a  bad  place  after  all.  Our  staterooms  were  pala- 
tial in  size,  and  our  breakfast  at  6.30  A.  M.  made 
us  feel  "  at  peace  with  the  world,  the  flesh  and 
the  devil."  We  three,  in  fact  all  but  Dr.  N.  turned 
in  at  seven,  for  a  couple  of  hours*  rest,  and  when 
about  nine  we  emerged  as  fresh  as  daisies,  the  Lur- 
line  was  steaming  along  between  the  banks  of  the 
Columbia  River,  in  rarely  beautiful  scenery,  and  from 
then  until  we  reached  '*  The  Dalles,"  at  5.40  P.  M., 
we  were  delighted,  and  much  surprised  at  the  lack 
of  appreciation  exhibited  by  our  friends.  Very  dif- 
ferent indeed  from  any  scenery  we  have  seen  before, 
it  was  still  so  wonderfully  characteristic  and  bold 
and  beautiful.  Our  first  glimpse  of  any  individual- 
ity in  special  outline,  was  a  huge  rock  standing  quite 
alone,  called  Rooster  Rock.  Next  came  Cape  Horn, 


314 


a  marvelous  formation  of  basaltic  boulders.  From 
that  point,  our  trip  up  the  Columbia  was  between 
great  fortresses  and  castles,  of  rare  volcanic  forma- 
tion— great  black  boulders,  then  clay  deposits  which 
produced  such  a  brilliant  contrast.  The  mountains 
and  hills  on  each  side,  rose  very  high  above  us,  and 
were  covered  half  way  up  with  delicate  feathery 
foliage,  the  different  and  variegated  colors  blending 
harmoniously  with  the  reddish  rocks,  and  the  great 
bare  trunks  of  trees,  which  gleamed  so  white  among 
the  deeper  evergreens.  Here  and  there  a  bright 
branch  of  some  maple  waved  conspicuously  in  the 
October  tints,  and  made  the  picture  perfect.  A  lace- 
like waterfall,  eight  hundred  and  thirty  feet  high,  by 
twelve  feet  wide,  shone  like  silver  in  its  beauty,  and 
was  the  well-known  Multnomah  Falls.  About 
twelve  o'clock  we  had  dinner,  then  the  Lurline 
stopped  at  "  The  Cascades  "  and  we  were  taken  on 
a  little  train,  six  miles  around  the  Cascades,  where 
we  took  the  D.  S.  Baker  to  "  The  Dalles."  We  saw 
a  flat  open  freight  car  on  the  little  train,  and  quietly 
seated  ourselves  with  our  luggage  on  it,  but  we  were 
no  sooner  settled,  than  a  car-man  told  us  they  needed 
the  space  for  two  boats.  We  went  away,  but  as 
soon  as  the  boats  were  on  the  car,  we  jumped  into 
one,  and  on  a  flat  platform  car,  in  a  boat,  we  rode 
those  six  miles,  through  lovely  woods  and  with 
glorious  glimpses  of  the  Cascades. 

Our  afternoon  on  D,  5.  Baker's  palatial  (?)  deck 
was  a  most   delightful   one.       We   enjoyed   every 

31S 


minute,  because  it  was  really  rarely  beautiful,  such 
wonderful  volcanic  formations,  unlike  anything  we 
had  seen.  One  funny  thing  kept  us  constantly  on 
the  alert,  for  every  time  a  passenger  wanted  to  get 
off  the  boat,  or  one  wanted  to  get  on,  all  they  did 
was  to  "  run  the  boat  agin  the  bank,  till  every  galoot 
was  ashore."  The  first  time  we  approached  the 
land  I  was  alarmed,  and  knew  something  was  wrong 
and  we  were  going  aground.  Sure  enough,  up  in 
the  mud  ran  the  bow,  and  the  engines  were  stopped. 
A  long  plank  was  thrown  ashore,  and  passengers 
carefully  helped  along.  The  next  time  we  turned 
for  the  bank,  I  could  see  nothing  to  make  such  a 
performance  reasonable  or  right,  but  as  we  neared 
the  little  lonely  spot,  on  the  shore  sat  a  young 
woman,  with  a  little  boy,  alone  with  their  traps,  and 
both  were  quickly  taken  on  board. 

We  reached  "  The  Dalles  "  about  5.40  P.  M.  and 
walked  to  the  "  Umatella  House,"  where  we  left  our 
bags  and  proceeded  to  see  the  town.  Forlorn,  un- 
attractive, doleful,  a  barren  glaring  spot,  with  about 
four  thousand  people  living  there,  and  we  were 
royally  glad  to  take  a  train  at  6.40,  for  Hood  River. 
We  knew  nothing  of  our  shelter  for  the  night,  but 
we  were  taking  chances,  and  when  I  saw  the  hotel,  I 
felt  like  running  to  the  woods,  but  it  proved  better 
than  it  looked.  A  general  search  was  made  by  each 
of  us,  as  soon  as  our  rooms  were  apportioned,  and 
simultaneously  we  all  put  our  heads  into  the  hall, 
and  asked  about  clean  linen.       I  saw  the  nice  young 

3x6 


wife  of  the  proprietor,  and  said  "  Our  upper  sheet 
and  pillows  seem  clean,  but  the  under  sheet  looks 
doubtful."  **  Yes  ma'am,  I  know,  and  I'll  change 
it,"  she  answered,  "  I  only  change  one  sheet  for 
gentlemen  ;  they  don't  mind,  you  know,  so  I  pre- 
pared that  room  for  a  gentleman,  you  see."  We  were 
almost  too  tired  to  care  much,  and  at  nine  o'clock 
we  were  in  bed,  lights  out,  and  were  not  disturbed 
until  the  next  morning,  at  five  o'clock. 

**  Why  did  not  those  people  like  that  lovely  trip  ?  " 
was  our  query  all  day.  It  made  us  fear  they  had 
wearied  of  the  wonderful  and  beautiful,  and  were  not 
quite  in  tune  with  these  surroundings. 

SATURDAY,  AUGUST  15TH. 

T  OVELY  and  bright,  when  we  were  awakened,  at 
half  past  five  o'clock  this  morning,  for  our 
drive  up  Mt.  Hood.  At  seven  o'clock  we  started, 
packed  bag  and  baggage  in  the  stage,  and  as  we  had 
been  told  in  Portland,  that  we  would  reach  Cloud 
Cap  Inn  at  noon,  we  thought  our  trip  would  be 
short  and  sweet.  We  had  twenty-seven  miles  to  go; 
most  of  those  miles  we  were  climbing  hills,  and  the 
man  who  told  us  that  we  only  needed  a  few  hours 
for  the  ascent,  had  never  been  up  Mt.  Hood  himself, 
I'll  warrant.  At  luncheon  time,  we  were  only  half 
way  up  that  tremendous  climb,  and  did  not  reach 
the  Inn,  until  half  past  five  o'clock  that  night.  The 
drive  was  a  glorious  one,  through  beautiful  woods, 
with  the  trees  thickly  hung  with  "  Grey  Beard,"  and 

317 


the  wild  flowers,  the  little  streams  of  gray  water  from 
the  glaciers,  with  numerous  glimpses  of  great  Mt. 
Hood,  in  its  snow  mantle,  made  it  an  everchanging 
panorama.  But  the  dust !  Never  in  our  lives  had 
we  seen  such  loving,  clinging,  all-powerful  dust,  and 
never  had  we  been  so  bountifully  powdered.  Al- 
though we  had  plenty  of  dust  in  the  Yosemite,  it 
was  nothing  compared  to  this  close  and  intimate 
bosom-friend  of  Mt.  Hood.  The  road  is  made 
through  basaltic  and  lava  formations,  and  the  pow- 
dered boulders,  the  deep  deposit  of  ages,  has  been 
overturned  and  lies  upon  the  surface  in  a  thick 
powder.  As  the  driver  said — "  it's  real  good  clean 
dust,"  and  so  it  was,  but  the  most  inquisitive  parti- 
cles that  we  have  ever  met.  As  I  thought  we  had 
given  up  the  Mt.  Hood  trip,  I  had  left  our  dusters 
behind,  but  as  we  left  the  Hood  River  Hotel,  the 
good  wife  of  the  proprietor  had  offered  me  her 
duster,  which,  though  marvelously  ample,  was  a 
blessing  after  all.  We  had  all  left  our  hats  there 
also,  and  wore  caps,  as  we  have  learned  never  to  have 
such  stiff  burdensome  things  about,  when  away  for 
pleasure.  The  dust  sifted  through  everything, 
through  our  veils  and  dusters,  and  plastered  us 
from  head  to  heels.  Our  faces  were  worse  than 
any  coal-digger's ;  we  were  smutched  all  over  with 
grim  shadows  around  our  eyes,  and  nose,  and 
mouth,  for  the  slight  moisture  of  the  warm  weather 
mixed  marvelously  well  with  the  dirt,  and  made  a 
plastic  mud,  most  uncomfortable  to  us  all.     At  first 

318 


we  brushed  every  few  minutes  ;  then  a  calm  resigna- 
tion came  over  us  and  we  sat  still  and  took  our  dust, 
peck  by  peck, — like  good  Christians.  We  swallowed 
more  than  we  liked,  and  absolutely  ground  our  teeth 
upon  it.  I  am  not  exaggerating,  for  nobody  could 
give  an  adequate  idea  of  that  powdered  drive.  We 
finally  came  to  a  barn,  and  the  driver  said  we  would 
rest  there  an  hour,  so  we  thought  we  would  eat  our 
luncheon.  Oh,  how  we  laughed  when  we  were  on 
the  ground  and  could  have  a  full  view  of  one  another ! 
Dr.  N.  laughed  heartily  when  he  beheld  Jamie,  in 
all  his  dustiness,  little  realizing  that  he  looked  just 
as  badly  himself.  Mrs.  N.  went  about,  whipping  the 
bushes  and  trunks  of  trees  with  her  hat,  veil  and 
wrap,  but  Jamie  and  I  were  too  hungry  to  care,  and 
seating  ourselves, — Jamie  on  a  box  found  under  a 
tree,  and  I,  perching  up  on  one  end  of  the  little 
wooden  table, — we  opened  and  prepared  the 
luncheon.  Chickens'  wings  and  legs,  hard  boiled 
eggs,  bread,  crackers,  little  cakes  and  apples,  com- 
posed the  repast,  but  as  the  hostess  of  the  Wood 
River  Hotel  was  not  troubled  with  a  tremendous 
stock  of  refinement,  every  article  was  done  up  in 
dingy  newspaper, — old  pieces  that  looked  as  if  they 
had  been  through  the  war.  But  dusty,  dirty  beings  as 
we  were,  could  not  be  very  particular, — our  appetites 
were  too  big  to  be  spoiled  and  we  sat  and  ate  our 
newspaper  lunch,  as  if  served  with  the  air  and  grace 
of  a  Delmonico  waiter.  We  roared  with  laughter, 
between  bites,  at  our  funny  little  circle,  and  when- 

319 


ever  I  undertook  to  move,  or  Dr.  N.  who  was  perched 
on  the  other  end  of  our  rude  rough  lunch-table, 
it  would  see-saw  and  shake,  and  every  one  would 
watch  some  particular  dainty  (?)  morsel,  with  fever- 
ish anxiety,  for  fear  it  would  take  unto  itself  wings 
and  fly  away.  It  was  a  party  of  the  merriest  kind. 
To  give  some  idea  of  our  snail's  pace  up  the 
mountain,  we  were  three  hours  going  up  five  miles. 
It  was  like  climbing  the  side  of  a  house,  and  of 
course  the  higher  we  climbed,  the  rarer  the  air  be- 
came, and  the  poor  horses  panted,  and  puffed,  and 
made  our  hearts  ache.  When  we  espied  Cloud  Cap 
Inn,  we  were  glad  we  had  faced  the  discomforts  and 
trials  of  that  trip,  to  find  such  a  lovely  resting  place. 
A  log  cabin  of  one  story, — tied  down  to  the  rocks 
by  means  of  strong  cables,  it  presented  the  most 
attractive  appearance  imaginable.  Wooden  within 
and  without, — no  carpets,  or  wall  papers,  or  conven- 
tionalities, it  however  proved  the  loveliest  retreat, 
so  quiet,  so  lofty,  so  unusual ;  and  to  our  dusty 
souls,  it  seemed  a  heaven  on  earth.  A  most  excel- 
lent woman  keeps  the  Inn  in  the  Clouds,  providing 
home-like  dainties  in  abundance,  and  we  found  our- 
selves at  once  so  comfortable  that  we  shook  the  dis- 
agreeable remembrance  of  our  drive  from  us,  with 
the  dust,  and  enjoyed  it  all  in  full  measure.  A  fine 
sunset,  and  a  gorgeous  moon-light  night,  with  genuine 
winter  coldness,  made  us  all  sleepy  and  before  ten 
o'clock  we  had  started  for  the  land  of  "Wynken, 
Blynken,  and  Nod." 

320 


SUNDAY  MORNING,  AUGUST    i6tH. 

T  AM  sitting  alone,  on  the  floor  of  the  little  observ- 
atory, on  top  of  Cloud  Cap  Inn.  It  is  half-past 
"  five  o'clock  in  the  morning  "  and  the  rest  of  our 
little  party  have  returned  to  their  beds,  but  I  could 
not  shut  my  eyes  upon  such  grandeur;  the  idea  of 
being  alone  to  absorb  and  drink  in  this  beauty,  made 
me  so  wide  awake  that  I  could  not  resist  the  temp- 
tation, and  so  I  am  here,  all  alone  with  my  thoughts, 
the  great  mountains,  and  the  flood  of  sunshine  which 
surrounds  me,  and  it  was  never  so  easy  to  worship 
my  God,  on  a  Sabbath  morning,  as  it  is  to-day.  The 
mountains  and  hills  declare  His  glory;  the  great 
snow  monarchs  proclaim  His  praise ;  the  trees  sing 
their  anthems  in  the  gentle  morning  breeze,  and  the 
little  birds  twitter  their  love  for  Him.  Why  should 
not  my  heart  glow  and  give  thanks  why  should  I 
not  be  in  tune  with  all  this  glory !  It  makes  me 
feel  awed  and  speechless,  as  in  silent  grandeur  all 
nature  makes  homage  to  its  Creator.  Not  one  word, 
no  sound,  except  the  wind  as  it  rustles  through  the 
tree-tops,  and  yet  a  more  glorious  adoration  was 
never  given  than  we  have  witnessed  this  morning. 
In  awful  grandeur  and  magnificence,  the  great 
mountains  raise  their  heads,  beholding  nothing  on 
earth  to  rival  their  beauty,  but  all  pointing  to 
Heaven,  the  home  of  their  King,  and  expressing  in 
themselves  the  prayer  of  the  Ages,  the  anthem  they 
have  sung  since  time  began. 

331 


By  the  thoughtfulness  of  good  Mrs.  F.,  we  were 
awakened  before  five  o'clock,  to  see  the  sun  rise. 
Scrambling  into  our  clothes,  with  unwashed  faces 
and  uncombed  heads,  we  assembled  on  the  little  rus- 
tic observatory,  on  the  roof  of  this  artistic  little  log- 
cabin.  I  was  alone  at  first,  but  was  soon  joined  by 
four  sleepy  companions,  all,  however,  awakened  be- 
fore many  minutes,  to  the  beauteous  surroundings. 
At  our  left,  in  close  companionship,  stood  Mt.  Hood, 
on  whose  side  we  now  are.  Cleanly  and  clearly 
outlined  against  a  sky  of  turquoise,  with  its  great 
cone-shaped  summit  covered  with  pure  white 
snow,  Mt.  Hood  stood  in  such  wondrous  beauty, 
in  such  mysterious  grandeur,  its  great  rocks 
and  shining  glaciers  making  a  wonderful  impres- 
sion upon  us.  We  felt  as  if  we  could  put  out 
our  hands  and  touch  its  glorious  summit,  it  was  so 
near  us.  Opposite  us,  on  our  right  hand  and  on  our 
left,  stood  range  after  range  of  wonderful  moun- 
tains, in  such  marvelous  numbers,  with  such  myr- 
iads of  points  and  peaks,  of  deep  shadowy  bftie, 
some  in  the  distance  resembling  castles  and  cathed- 
rals, that  we  seemed  unable  to  take  it  all  in  and 
properly  appreciate  its  beauty.  The  most  glori- 
ous, grand  and  marvelous  sight,  however,  were  the 
great  Kings  of  the  West,  lifting  their  snow-covered 
heads  in  majesty  and  might,  behind  the  numerous 
mountains  in  the  foreground  and  middle  distance. 
Mt.  Ranier,  165  miles  away  from  us,  opposite 
Tacoma,  stood  out  so  distinctly  before  us,  that  we 

322 


marveled  at  the  sight  of  its  great  glacial  sides  and 
multitude  of  cracks  and  crevasses,  and  could  not  be- 
lieve that  so  many  miles  were  between  us.  Nearer 
us,  to  the  right  of  Ranier's  gorgeous  rounded  top, 
stood  Mt.  Adams,  in  such  loftiness  and  glorious 
grandeur,  in  such  a  pure  white  mantle,  it  seemed  to 
touch  the  heavens,  and  reflect  the  splendor  of  the 
Pearly  Gates.  To  Ranier's  left,  in  a  haughty  glori- 
ousness,  and  with  a  great  volcanic  cup  full  of  snow, 
as  her  crown,  stood  Mt.  St.  Helens,  the  loftiest  and 
most  aristocratic  and  aspiring  of  the  quartette.  We 
stood  in  an  amphitheatre  of  grandeur,  of  magnifi- 
cent mountain  ranges  on  all  sides  of  us,  with  these 
great  monarchs  as  sentinels,  rising  far  into  the  sky, 
above  the  rest,  in  such  unparalleled  loveliness,  in 
such  unspeakable  magnificence. 

When  we  first  saw  Mt.  Hood  this  morning,  it  was 
outlined  against  the  azure  blue,  like  a  genuine  gem, 
in  a  molten  silver  setting.  To  enhance  the  picture, 
one  twinkling  star  peeped  at  us,  over  the  summit  of 
snow,  a  good-bye  to  the  night,  for  the  dawn  was 
coming.  In  the  far  east,  a  great  band  of  deep  red 
light  announced  the  approach  of  the  King  of  Day, 
and  glowed  and  glistened,  reflecting  rose,  violet, 
purple,  then  a  long  finger  of  yellow,  over  the  scene 
of  enchantment  before  us.  Mt.  Adams  was  a  purple 
of  royal  hue,  with  violet  shadows  ;  Mt.  Ranier,  like  a 
beautiful  pink  rose,  stood  out  in  delicate  outlines ; 
while  Mt.  St.  Helens,  like  a  glorious  bride  decked 
for  her  wedding  morn,  was  purest  gold,  rare  and 

333 


bright,  and  beautiful ;  and  wonderful  beyond  words 
was  this  marvelous  picture.  We  were  harmonious 
in  our  praise  and  enjoyment  of  this  vision  of  beauty, 
which  far  surpassed  any  similar  scene  ever  witnessed. 
Gradually  Old  Sol,  in  the  brightest  of  Sunday  at- 
tires, peeped  up  from  behind  the  mountains,  a  little 
rim  of  gold  at  first,  to  be  sure  all  Nature  was  ready 
to  receive  him  and  do  him  homage,  then,  as  if  satis- 
fied and  puffed  up  with  pride,  he  came  rolling  forth 
in  a  grandeur  and  splendor  of  sunshine,  flooding 
everything  with  his  wondrous  light.  The  little  star 
above  Mt.  Hood  quickly  made  its  exit ;  the  snow 
smiled  back  at  Old  Sol,  as  he  caressed  its  mounds 
and  glaciers  ;  the  trees  began  to  wave  their  welcome  ; 
the  birds  sang  a  little  chorus  of  praise,  and  every 
rock  and  rill,  every  mountain  and  valley  sent  up  a 
little  cloud  of  incense,  their  welcome  to  the  Sun. 

As  I  sit  on  this  lofty  pinnacle,  looking  over  the 
tree-tops,  to  the  snow-clad  mountains,  and  realize 
where  I  am,  and  that  I  am  viewing  some  of  the 
grandest  scenery  in  the  world,  I  am  depressed  as 
well  as  impressed,  as  I  realize  the  atom  I  am,  in  this 
great  world  of  wonder  and  wisdom. 

While  I  sat  in  such  absolute  stillness,  drinking  in 
the  beauty  on  all  sides  of  me,  the  little  birds  did  not 
seem  afraid  of  me ;  they  did  not  seem  to  realize  that 
I  was  a  living  being,  and  they  came  and  perched 
about  me,  gave  a  little  peep,  sang  a  merry  song, 
looking  straight  into  my  face,  then  they  flew  away 
to  tell  their  neighbors,  who  came  in  turn  to  see  me, 

334 


i 


and  I  wondered  what  they  thought  of  that  queer 
little  woman,  crouched  down  on  the  floor  of  the  little 
rustic  observatory,  like  an  Indian  squaw  in  her 
usual  position.  Perhaps  they  thought  I  had  come 
"  To  sweep  the  cobwebs  from  the  sky," — "  Old 
woman,  old  woman,  old  woman,  quoth  I." 

At  half-past  six,  I  saw  that  Mt.  Hood  would  soon 
be  too  bright  to  photograph,  so  I  ran  to  our  room, 
grasped  my  camera  and  flew  to  the  roof,  to  take  two 
photos  of  this  wondrous  companion  of  ours.  Its  aw- 
ful summit  is  only  four  thousand  feet  above  us,  as 
it  stands  11,400  feet  above  the  sea  level.  Then,  as 
the  people  of  the  house  began  to  move  about,  and 
I  felt  that  absolute  solitude  could  no  longer  be 
mine,  I  went  to  our  room  and  jumped  into  bed  for 
an  hour's  nap.  About  half-past  eight  we  assembled 
for  breakfast,  and  such  a  good  one  as  we  had,  just 
like  a  home  breakfast.  Soon  after,  we  were  out  and 
wandering  about,  but  the  rare  air  made  exercise  too 
much  for  any  of  us,  and  after  walking  a  few  steps, 
we  were  obliged  to  give  up  our  desire  to  visit  an 
immense  glacier,  not  an  eighth  of  a  mile  away  from 
us.  We  reached  a  point  of  rocks,  called  **  Artist's 
Point,"  where  Bierstadt  painted  some  famous  pict- 
ures, and  there  we  sat  for  an  hour  or  two,  looking 
deep  down  into  the  Valley  and  seeing  the  wonder- 
ful volcanic  formations,  and  lava  beds.  On  the  op- 
posite side  of  Mt.  Hood  from  where  we  are,  there 
is  a  crater,  which  often  now  sends  forth  steam  in 
great  volumes. 

32s 


About  one  o'clock,  which  came  all  too  soon,  we 
were  called  to  dinner,  and  at  two  o'clock  we  packed 
ourselves  again  in  our  stage,  waved  a  good-bye  to 
the  good  woman  who  keeps  the  little  Inn,  and  began 
our  descent  of  Mt.  Hood.  The  five  miles  of  terri- 
ble climbing,  which  took  us  over  three  hours  yester- 
day, we  went  down  in  forty  minutes.  The  trip 
back  to  Hood  River  was  a  very  tiresome  one,  more  ■ 
so  than  yesterday,  because  we  had  not  thoroughly 
rested  from  the  drive  and  necessary  fatigue.  The 
terrible  dust  of  yesterday  attacked  us  again,  in  quite 
as  violent  a  form,  but  we  did  not  enjoy  it  as  much 
as  before  ;  the  novelty  had  worn  off,  and  we  saw 
visions  of  being  too  late  to  have  a  good  wash,  before 
taking  the  train  for  Portland.  We  were  a  perfect 
sight,  when  we  reached  Hood  River  at  seven  o'clock, 
and  as  we  drove  up  to  the  Hotel,  the  piazza  was 
crowded  with  country  people  in  their  Sunday  attire, 
and  the  children  set  up  a  howl,  when  they  saw 
James  alight.  He  was  plastered  with  this  basaltic 
powder,  literally  coated  with  it,  and  his  face  was 
hardly  recognizable.  We  were  all  in  similar  condi- 
tion, and  were  approached  by  the  men  of  the  Inn, 
with  long  handled  dusters  and  brushes.  A  general 
rush  for  rooms  and  clean  clothes,  "  a  rub,  scrub  and  a 
polish,"  a  little  bite  of  supper,  and  at  7.40  P.  M.  we 
took  the  train  for  Portland,  five  tired  out  but  con- 
tented people.  We  reached  Portland  at  10.45  P-  M- 
and  after  *'  a  tub  "  we  tumbled  into  bed,  to  dream 
of  the  visions  of  beauty  we  had  seen. 

326 


MONDAY,  AUGUST  I/TH. 

T  OVELY  morning,  bright,  sunny  and  very  warm. 
Mrs.  N.  was  quite  ill  all  last  night  and  very 
wretched  this  morning.  Dr.  N.  however,  was  able  to 
leave  his  mother  for  a  while  this  morning,  and  James 
and  the  Doctor  and  I,  wandered  about  the  streets 
of  Portland,  into  the  shops,  hunting  some  trifles  and 
some  good  views  of  Alaska  and  other  places.  We 
had  such  a  late  breakfast  that  we  did  not  return  for 
luncheon,  but  about  half  past  two  we  came  back  to 
The  Portland^  and  were  able  to  visit  Mrs.  N.  for  a 
little.  R.  was  so  disappointed,  not  being  able  to  go 
with  us  in  the  morning,  that  she  begged  me  to  go  to 
a  few  shops  again  with  her,  which  I  did  with  genuine 
pleasure.  When  we  returned  about  five  o'clock,  I 
found  the  Doctor  with  James  in  our  room,  painting  a 
totem-pole  in  water  colors,  from  my  photo,  and  my 
desire  to  write  home  had  to  be  curbed  until  dinner 
time,  but  was  accomplished,  in  spite  of  obstacles. 
We  five  Hood-ites  dined  together  and  had  our 
evening  together  also,  for  the  thought  of  parting 
makes  us  sad.  It  is  remarkable  how  short  a  time  it 
takes  to  make  real  firm  friends.  Four  weeks  ago,  we 
did  not  know  the  N.s,  and  now  we  hope  to  keep 
them  always  as  friends. 

TUESDAY,  AUGUST  i8TH. 
13  AINING  and  cool,  and  joy  was  in  our  hearts 
when  we  awoke,  and  found  this  condition  of 
things.     Rain  is  scarce  in  this  part  of  ^  the  summer, 

327 


\ 


seldom  visiting  the  country  for  weeks  and  months. 
A  rainy  day  for  a  trip  to  Tacoma,  the  dustiest  of 
rail  experiences,  was  a  delight  to  us.  After  packing, 
we  breakfasted  at  9.30  A.  M.  with  the  N.s,  and  I  was 
made  happy  by  the  farewell  offerings  brought  me. 

At  eleven  o'clock,  we  left  the  Hotel  and  our  three 
friends,  whose  waving  handkerchiefs  were  visible 
until  we  turned  a  sharp  corner  two  blocks  away, 
and  Jamie  and  I  are  already  wondering  how  soon 
it  may  be  our  good  fortune  to  see  them  again.  At 
11.45  our  train  started  and  landed  us  in  Tacoma  at 
6.25  p.  M.  We  passed  the  uninteresting  trip  quickly 
away,  by  reading  "  Idle  Thoughts  of  an  Idle  Fellow," 
by  Jerome  K.  Jerome,  parts  of  which  Jamie  read 
aloud  to  me,  and  we  richly  enjoyed.  Aunt  Mary 
was  awaiting  us,  and  we  were  quite  rejoiced  to  get 
back.  Letters  were  our  treat  from  home,  and  were 
thoroughly  digested  before  we  ate  one  mouthful  of 
supper. 


3a8 


PUGET  SOUND  TO  MONTANA 


WEDNESDAY,    AUGUST    I9TH. 

13  IGHT  after  breakfast,  James,  Auntie  and  I  wan- 
dered out  to  see  our  photographs.  While 
shopping,  afterwards,  we  met  Miss  J.  and  Miss  D. 
and  Mrs.  A.,  of  our  Mexico  party,  and  had  a  short 
interview  in  Gross's  '*  Dry  Goods  Shop."  The  girls 
had  been  to  call  upon  me.  After  reaching  the  hotel. 
Rev.  Dr.  Y.  and  Dr.  James  Y.,  who  were  awaiting 
our  return,  made  us  a  long  call,  inviting  us  to  go 
this  afternoon  to  **  Tea  "  at  the  Ladies'  Tennis  Club. 
)  Luncheon — then   a   change    of    rooms,   and   while 

struggling  fifteen  minutes  later,  to  get  settled.  Miss 
J.  and  Miss  D.  appeared*  again.  They  had  not  gone, 
when  Dr.  Y.  arrived  to  escort  us  to  the  Tennis 
Grounds,  and  Dr.  J.  Y.  was  there  to  welcome  us  on 
arrival.  The  Tennis  Club  does  not  occupy  impos- 
ing grounds  and  buildings,  but  there  is  simply  a 
corner  lot,  with  two  courts,  a  small  building,  where 
tea  was  served,  and  some  benches  and  seats,  ar- 
ranged very  ingeniously  under  the  sidewalk.  We 
met  many  people,  however,  saw  Tacoma's  belles  and 
beauties,  and  they  were  decidedly  attractive  in  ap- 

329 


pearance.  Life  in  Tacoma  seems  like  one  big  pic- 
nic,— a  sort  of  holiday  life  and  energy,  and  a  con- 
stant round  of  entertainments — which  is  very  pleas- 
ant. 

As  James  had  not  been  about  Tacoma,  we  took  a 
drive  after  leaving  the  grounds,  and  Dr.  Y.  went 
with  us.  The  oldest  part  of  the  town  is  about 
twenty  years  old,  and  is  spoken  of  with  great  rever- 
ence, by  all  the  inhabitants,  as  *'01d  Tacoma," 
(strong  emphasis  on  the  Old).  In  this  ancient  cor- 
ner, is  a  tiny  edifice,  a  little  church  (Episcopal), 
"  St.  Peter's "  by  name.  The  belfry  is  on  a  huge 
tree,  seven  feet  in  diameter  ;  the  branches  have 
been  cut  away,  and  on  top  of  this  huge  trunk,  a  bell- 
tower  has  been  placed.  Ivy  covers  the  trunk 
thickly,  and  it  is  a  unique  and  remarkable  church 
tower.  Dr.  Y.  wanted  to  stop  at  the  old  Church, 
which  we  did,  and  interviewed  the  minister,  who 
took  us  into  the  Church.  Then  we  drove  to  Dr.  Y.'s 
home  and  went  in  for  a  short  call,  and  to  see  dear 
little  Gretchen.  After  dinner,  we  spent  a  quiet 
pleasant  evening  with  Aunt  Mary,  and  listened  to  the 
Spanish  Students. 

THURSDAY,  AUGUST  20TH. 

"jWrOST  remarkably  uneventful,  and  yet  a  pleas- 
ant,  quiet,  restful   day,   with   enough   com- 
pany to  entertain   us,  and  enough  music  to  make 
life  worth  living. 


330 


FRIDAY,  AUGUST  2 1  ST. 

A  BOUT  three  and  a  half  o'clock,  Auntie,  James 
and  I,  in  an  electric  car,  rode  to  what  is  known 
in  these  parts  as  "  Old  Tacoma,"  to  meet  Mr.  G. 
and  his  Naphtha  launch  Hope^  for  a  trip  to  the 
"  Boat  Club  House,"  about  six  miles  across  Puget 
Sound.  Naphtha  launches,  have  seemed  to  me  up 
to  date,  an  invention  of  the  Devil,  to  be  avoided 
religiously  by  me  and  my  better  half,  on  all  occasions. 
Imagine  my  horror,  when  informed  that  James  had 
actually  accepted  this  invitation,  for  himself  and 
me.  As  I  prepared  for  my  pleasure  (!)  trip,  I  kept 
assuring  myself  that  drowning,  after  all,  was  a  pleas- 
ant death — sort  of  panoramic  and  kaleidoscopic.  As 
I  stepped  into  the  little  twenty-one  foot  craft,  with 
its  shining  business-like  funnel,  and  numerous  little 
wheels  and  knobs,  to  turn  on  or  off  the  gas  needed  or 
not  needed,  I  gasped,  in  despair,  and  to  my  better 
half's  infinite  disgust,  **  Any  danger  in  these  little 
ships  ?  "  to  which  Mr.  G.  answered  reassuringly  (?) 
**  Don't  believe  so,  I've  never  had  an  accident,  but 
no  knowing  when  will  be  the  first  time."  I  swal- 
lowed something  that  would  stick  up  in  my  throat, 
and  fibbed  about  its  being** so  pleasant  to  go  so  fast 
and  feel  so  safe,"  but  for  a  mile  or  so,  I  kept  my  eye 
on  that  little  "  infernal  machine  "  in  the  stern,  to  my 
great  amusement  after,  for  soon  a  sense  of  safety 
came  over  me,  and  ever  since  I  have  been  an  enthu- 
siastic  admirer  of  these  little  crafts.     We  sailed 

331 


those  six  miles  in  forty  minutes,  and  reached  the 
boat  club  in  ample  time,  for  the  "  Naphtha  Launch 
Race,"  which  was  called  at  6  P.  M.  We  were  landed 
on  the  float,  but  soon  to  our  delight,  the  Commodore 
of  the  little  fleet,  sent  us  an  invitation  to  come  to  his 
yacht,  which  was  anchored  off  shore,  and  was  the 
starting  point,  as  well  as  finish,  for  the  race.  Soon 
the  seven  launches  started  out  on  their  three  miles 
course,  and  it  was  very  interesting  and  a  pretty 
sight.  Our  Hope  was  one  of  the  small  launches,  and 
was  beaten  by  a  bigger  boat,  but  we  enjoyed  the 
sight  very  much.  A  supper,  served  to  a  large  num 
ber  of  guests,  followed,  and  about  a  quarter  to  nine 
o'clock,  we  started  in  our  little  craft  for  the  shore  of 
Tacoma.  It  was  a  glorious  sail  back  ;  the  phosphor- 
escence was  exquisite  ;  we  seemed  to  cut  our  way 
through  diamond  waves,  and  the  moon  rose  like  a 
great  fiery  cart-wheel,  and  shed  a  red  path  of  light 
to  guide  us  home. 

SATURDAY,  AUGUST  22D. 

"IITE  had  callers  on  the  piazza  all  the  morning, 
the  K's,  of  Peekskill,  whom  we  met  in  the 
Yosemite,  and  who  have  just  returned  from  Alaska, 
and  the  Y's.  In  the  afternoon,  Jamie  and  Dr.  Y., 
with  the  host  of  the  Hope^  went  again  for  a  sail, 
but  as  we  were  going  to  dine  with  Mrs.  Y.,  I  refused 
the  tempting  invitation.  Jamie  returned  in  time  to 
dress,  and  we  went  to  the  dinner,  and  had  a  very 
pleasant  time. 

333 


SUNDAY,  AUGUST  23D. 

A  UNTIE  and  James  spent  the  day  with  me  in 
my  room,  as  I  was  not  feeling  well.  I  went 
to  dinner,  however,  and  after  it  we  three  went  to 
the  little  church  in  old  Tacoma,  with  its  ancient  bell- 
tower,  and  ivy  (which  has  poked  its  tiny  tendrils 
through  every  available  crack  and  crevice,  into  the 
sacred  sanctuary,  and  grown  everywhere  luxuriously), 
and  we  heard  a  fine  sermon,  from  Rev.  Dr.  Y.,  of 
Staten  Island. 

WEDNESDAY,  AUGUST  26TH. 

A  FTER  breakfast  in  my  room,  I  received  calls  in 
■^^  the  parlor,  from  Mrs.  W.  and  her  sister  Miss 
C,  whom  I  met  at  Mrs.  Y.'s  dinner,  after  which  the 
music  was  enjoyed.  After  luncheon,  by  invitation 
from  Mr.  G.,  Auntie,  James,  Dr.  Y.  and  I,  also  Miss 
R.,  went  for  a  sail  on  the  launch  Hope.  It  was  a 
terribly  warm  day  on  shore,  but  in  our  hurried  pas- 
sage through  the  water,  we  created  such  a  breeze' 
that  jackets  were  necessary  for  comfort  and  safety. 

The  great  interest  now  in  Puget  Sound  is  the 
salmon  fishing,  and  the  run  of  salmon  is  so  great,  that 
we  thought  a  sail  to  the  traps  would  be  of  interest. 
Before  going  near  enough  to  see  through  the  nets, 
we  sailed  about  near  the  spot,  and  never  in  our  lives 
have  we  seen  such  a  sight.  The  fish  were  jump- 
ing many  times  their  length,  up  into  the  air,  on  all 
sides  of  us,  and  it  was  one  incessant  exclamation  of 
*  look  here,  quick,"  or  "  look  sharp,"   for  it  was  a 

333 


sight  never  to  be  forgotten.  As  if  amused  by  some 
great  aquatic  joke,  and  rolling  with  merriment,  these 
"pinks  of  propriety"  would  fly  up  out  of  their 
watery  abode,  give  a  bound  through  the  air,  and  dis- 
appear as  quickly  as  they  appeared.  Like  pin-wheels 
they  would  roll  about,  and  in  schools  of  great  num- 
bers, they  would  hurry  along,  as  if  out  for  an  airing. 
The  queerest  thing  of  all,  was  to  see  the  vast  mass  of 
fish,  as  they  swam  along,  for  we  could  see  them  on 
the  surface  so  distinctly  and  plainly,  and  they  were 
so  crowded  and  so  closely  packed  in  together,  that 
their  fins  stuck  up  above  the  water,  and  made  the 
waves  quite  black.  We  had  heard  of  salmon  '*  filling 
the  streams  so  full,  that  a  man  could  walk  on  their 
backs  safely  to  shore,"  and  while  in  Alaska,  one  of 
our  number  caught  a  fish  in  a  stream,  between  his 
handsy  but  these  fins  on  the  surface  and  these 
aeronautic  salmon,  we  saw  with  our  own  eyes,  and 
can  vouch  one  for  the  other,  if  our  veracity  is 
doubted.  We  finally  tied  our  Hope  to  two  of 
the  trap-poles,  shut  off  the  gas,  and  lay  quietly  and 
cosily  close  to  the  nets,  to  see  the  catch.  It  was  one 
vast  throng  of  fine  fish,  so  many  in  the  nets,  that  the 
sides  just  below  the  water  line,  bulged  out  to  their 
most  elastic  limits.  Once  in  a  while,  a  fine  speci- 
men of  the  fish  kingdom  would  be  bounced  up  out 
of  the  water,  on  the  backs  of  its  fellow  companions, 
like  some  oarsman,  brought  home  by  his  college 
mates  on  their  shoulders,  after  a  victory.  Mr.  G., 
our  host,  to  do  all  in  his  power  for  his  guests,  pro- 


334 


duced  a  gaff,  and  leaning  over  the  side-net,  easily- 
brought  up  a  fine  salmon  on  the  hook,  in  gorgeous 
glory  and  pride.  Seeing  the  fishermen  preparing  to 
haul  a  net  on  shore,  we  landed,  and  viewed  the  un- 
usual sight.  Slowly  but  surely,  the  meshes  of  that 
strong  net  closed  upon  its  victims,  and  as  it  came 
closer  and  closer  to  shore,  the  splashes  and  dashes 
of  the  prisoners,  produced  as  much  commotion  in  the 
water,  as  a  sudden  squall  of  wind  would  do.  They 
landed  hundreds,  nay  thousands,  and  Dr.  Y.  bought 
eleven  fine  salmon,  weighing  each  between  eight  and 
twelve  pounds,  for  two  bits,  or  twenty-five  cents.  A 
man,  a  few  days  ago,  sold  five  hundred  salmon  for  five 
dollars  ;  for  several  days  the  run  had  been  so  great, 
that  they  had  to  shut  their  trap-doors,  and  after  fill- 
ing their  boats  full,  and  giving  to  any  who  were 
near,  they  liberated  nearly  five  thousand — '*  pretty 
big  fish  story  "  to  be  sure  ! 

On  our  way  to  shore,  we  steamed  up  to  see  a  little 
collection  of  houses,  I  had  become  interested  in  from 
my  window.  It  seems,  a  certain  wandering  class  of 
laborers  live  in  floating  houses,  which  are  carried  to 
their  different  objective  points,  on  the  rising  tide. 
Nestled  close  by  the  big  sawmill,  opposite  this 
Hotel,  which  is  situated  on  a  point  of  ground  in  a 
shallow  channel  or  water-way,  are  several  dozens  of 
these  huts,  or  aquatic  cottages,  where  women  and 
children  live  their  lives,  having  bridges  to  bring  them 
to  the  main-land,  but  staying  always  in  this  way  on 
the  water,  avoiding  land  rents  and  having  no  water 

335 


tax,  even  for  their  floating  homes.  It  is  a  queer 
little  gathering  of  houses,  and  some  are  quite  pre- 
tentious, having  curtains  at  their  windows  and  front 
doors.  One  little  square  box,  which  stands  high  and 
dry  at  low  tide,  but  is  surely  at  sea  at  high  water, 
has  quite  a  fine  stained-glass  front  door,  and  sev- 
eral have  platforms  or  floats  near  their  front  entrance, 
with  fences  about  them,  for  the  tiny  tots  (who 
abound  in  such  quarters),  to  have  as  a  play-ground. 
Wooden  soap  and  starch-boxes  full  of  flowers,  serve 
as  ornaments  in  various  places  in  these  homes,  and 
they  seem  as  comfortable  and  happy,  in  their  watery 
paradise,  and  as  thrifty  as  in  more  secure  abodes. 
Surely,  these  floating  laborers  know  how  to  evade 
the  demands  of  the  law.  For  some  reason  a  conund- 
rum, we  heard  on  the  Mexico y  which  pleased  James 
greatly,  recurs  to  me  now,  and  that  is,  "  Who  was 
the  best  financier  mentioned  in  history  ?  Noah,  be- 
cause he  floated  a  Loan  (lone)  Company  while  all 
the  world  was  in  liquidation." 

THURSDAY,    AUGUST    27TH. 

T  OVELY  morning,  but  to  arise  at  six  o'clock 
again,  savored  too  much  of  the  Yosemite  and 
Mt.  Hood  trips,  and  yet  was  a  joy  after  we  were 
once  on  our  feet.  Breakfast  at  seven  o'clock,  and  at 
half-past  seven,  Auntie,  James  and  I  started  for  the 
eight  o'clock  boat,  the  City  of  Kingston^  for  Seattle. 
We  had  several  minutes  to  spare  before  the  boat 
started,  and  had  an  opportunity  to  study  a  group  of 

336 


Siwash  laborers,  who  had  come  to  town  for  the  hop- 
picking.  It  was  a  goodly  gathering,  and  more  In- 
dians collected  in  one  group  than  in  any  we  had 
seen  even  in  Alaska.  Just  at  this  time  of  the  year, 
the  country  is  full  of  these  peculiar  people,  and 
they  come  floating  up  the  Sound,  with  their  families, 
their  goods  and  chattels,  in  their  big  picturesque 
canoes,  and  remind  one  of  Robinson  Crusoe  or 
some  similar  exile,  just  coming  from  a  long  life  on 
some  far-away  desert  island.  They  come  some- 
times from  Alaska,  sometimes  from  British  Colum- 
bia, and  make  long  journeys  to  these  hop-fields, 
stopping  when  night  comes,  on  the  shore,  wherever 
they  happen  to  be,  and  little  bright  fires  may  be 
seen  all  along  the  shore  every  evening,  denoting  the 
abiding-place  for  that  night,  of  those  wandering  pil- 
grims. They  move  along  the  shores  like  born  mar- 
iners, and  seem  perfectly  at  home  in  their  little 
canoes.  I  say  little  canoes,  but  they  are  big,  and 
the  bow  and  stern  are  so  wonderfully  well  cut  out, 
in  such  graceful  curves,  that  they  reflect  a  perfect 
bow  in  the  water  beneath  them,  a  semi-circle  like 
the  new  moon,  and  they  are  laden  with  bright 
blanketed  women,  little  children  with  bright  hand- 
kerchiefs about  their  heads,  and  the  omnipresent 
Siwash  dog,  with  its  greenish  eyes  and  wiry  hair. 
The  heads  of  these  families  usually  sit  in  the  stern, 
and  paddle  in  such  a  scientific  manner,  carrying 
their  paddle  freely  above  the  waves,  between  each 
stroke,  and  yet  so  closely  to  the  water,  that  it  never 

337 


seems  to  leave  it  for  a  moment.  They  use  this 
mode  of  locomotion  from  their  cradle,  and  are  as 
skillful  as  well  trained  oarsmen  could  be.  We  saw 
many  of  these  big  family  canoes  to-day,  and  they 
never  failed  to  call  forth  our  admiration,  for  they 
were  certainly  wonderfully  picturesque  and  unusual. 
As  they  glide  along  over  the  waves,  the  Indian 
women  often  knit,  and  their  dark  heads  and  hands, 
bending  low  over  some  child's  blue  or  red  stocking, 
added  much  to  the  effect.  Indians,  as  a  rule,  in 
the  old  times  never  wore  stockings,  but  now,  the 
result  of  education  is  seen  in  the  comfortably  clad 
children,  some  looking  quite  like  white  children  in 
their  modern  attire.  This  morning  the  squaws  and 
children,  with  their  clean  dresses,  shoes  and  stock- 
ings, their  combed  and  braided  hair,  and  neat  ap- 
pearance, contrasted  marvelously  with  the  old 
women  and  their  filthy  dirty  feet,  their  snarled  and 
tangled  hair,  their  grimy  faces  and  loathsome  ex- 
pressions ;  and  although  they  all  crouched  on  the 
ground,  and  were  all  eating  their  breakfasts  of 
berries,  and  had  very  black  looking  mouths,  any- 
one interested  in  such  a  study,  could  very  easily 
pick  out  the  educated  Indian,  at  a  glance.  We  saw 
fat  Indians  and  lean  Indians,  clean  Indians  and  dirty 
ones,  little  Indians  and  big  Indians,  and  we  were 
sorry  to  leave  our  study  in  Siwash  oils,  when  the 
bell  rang  and  communicated  to  the  engineer  of  the 
City  of  Kingston,  the  Captain's  desire  to  be  off  for 
Seattle. 

338 


Our  sail  to  Seattle  was  one  of  little  interest,  for 
the  heat  of  the  coming  hours  was  preceded  by  an 
ominous  mist  and  haze,  and  we  could  see  little  be- 
yond the  bow  of  the  boat.  Dr.  Y.,  who  had  joined 
us  for  the  trip,  sat  outside  with  James,  while  Auntie 
and  I  snoozed  in  the  cabin.  Ten  o'clock  found  us 
at  the  wonderful  little  city  of  Seattle,  and  as  we 
walked  from  the  boat  the  two  short  blocks  to  the 
business  streets,  we  were  all  impressed  by  the  mag- 
nificent buildings,  really  imposing  and  fine,  and  by 
the  remarkably  big  appearance  of  the  little  City. 

Three  years  ago,  in  i88S,  a  terrible  fire  wiped  out 
all  of  Seattle's  business  quarter,  and  accomplished 
its  work  of  destruction  so  thoroughly,  that  crackers 
and  bacon  were  the  only  provisions  it  was  possible 
to  obtain,  for  a  few  days,  until  relief  trains  brought 
better  things  to  the  ruined  city.  Twelve  millions  of 
dollars  worth  of  property  was  destroyed.  Now  the 
buildings  are  rebuilt  and  are  as  handsome  as  many 
in  New  York  or  Boston.  This  gives  Seattle  a  very 
new  and  impressive  appearance,  especially  its  busi- 
ness quarter.  The  residences  in  Seattle  are  home- 
like and  attractive,  but  are  as  much  behind  the 
homes  in  Tacoma,  as  its  business  portion  is  far 
superior.  The  jealousy  between  this  thirty  (or  forty) 
years  old  city  of  Seattle,  and  the  little  young  eight 
years  old  Tacoma,  is  as  ridiculous  and  undignified  as 
it  would  be,  between  a  woman  and  a  child,  of  the 
same  respective  ages. 

Our  first  aim  was  to  find  and  see   Mr.  B,     We 

339 


heard  he  was  in  the  Merchants'  National  Bank,  and 
soon  found  our  way  to  a  magnificent  building. 
Asking  for  Mr.  B.  we  were  told  to  step  into  his 
private  ofifice,  as  he  would  be  in  directly.  A  fine 
glass  door,  with  a  silken  curtain,  and  the  words 
"  Vice-President "  on  it  in  gold,  was  opened  for  us, 
and  we  found  ourselves  in  a  handsomely  furnished 
room,  a  large  desk,  chairs,  sofa,  etc.,  and  learned 
that  the  young  friend,  whom  we  were  waiting  to  see, 
who  only  three  years  ago  came  to  Seattle,  from  the 
East,  was  now  Vice-President  of  a  flourishing  bank, 
a  Park  Commissioner,  a  public-spirited,  high-princi- 
pled young  man,  whom  all  respected  and  honored 
in  this  home  of  his  adoption.  We  had  not  long  to 
wait,  for  our  friend  soon  came  in,  and  was  most 
cordial  in  his  welcome.  Arranging  some  matters 
which  demanded  his  immediate  attention,  he  insisted 
upon  taking  us  about  the  City,  and  took  us  first  to 
the  beautiful  Washington  Lake.  The  system  of 
cable  and  electric  roads  is  in  perfection  in  Seattle. 
It  is  a  city  on  a  multitude  of  hills  ;  each  street  at  its 
corners,  seems  to  wave  and  curve  north  and  south, 
as  well  as  east  and  west ;  and  up  and  over  all  these 
hills,  as  if  they  were  nothing  of  any  account,  these 
roads  run,  flying  like  witches  in  every  direction. 
One  cable  road  took  us  one  mile  and  a  half  to  the 
Lake,  and  there  we  took  a  little  steamer  and  went  a 
mile  and  a  half  up  the  lake,  to  the  "  Canoe  Club-Boat- 
House,  a  lovely  sail  to  a  charming  spot.  Mr.  B. 
belongs  to  this  organization,  and   bringing  out  his 

340 


pretty  pet  "  Argonaut,"  he  was  photographed  in  it, 
by  our  "special  photographer."  After  some  time 
spent  in  looking  about,  in  viewing  the  picturesque 
shores  of  this  fresh-water  resort,  we  took  another 
cable  car  and  went  three  miles  and  a  half  back  to 
the  city,  stopping  before  we  reached  the  Bank,  at 
the  "  Ranier  Hotel,"  for  dinner.  After  that  mid-day 
meal,  and  a  quiet  rest  for  a  little  while  on  the  piazza, 
we  wandered  to  the  Bank  again,  and  leaving  James 
and  the  Doctor  there.  Auntie  and  I  walked  about,  in 
and  out  of  the  shops,  to  find  photos  and  spoons. 

At  last  we  decided  to  continue  our  sight-seeing, 
and  as  cars  were  the  best  means  of  moving  about, 
we  took  another  line,  and  went  several  miles  in  a 
different  direction,  to  the  top  of  Queen  Anne  Hill, 
where  the  view  of  Puget  Sound  was  really  beautiful, 
and  the  city  presented  a  remarkably  pleasing  sight. 
It  was  singularly  fascinating,  the  manner  in  which 
we  glided  over  hill  and  dale,  climbing  precipitous 
ascents  at  a  glorious  gait,  and  having  genuine  to- 
boggan slides  at  some  corners,  with  regular 
"  Thank-you-marms  "  liberally  intermixed.  James 
seemed  particularly  amused  at  this  car-sight-seeing 
of  ours,  and  we  were  so  pleased  by  our  several  rides, 
that,  having  an  extra  hour  at  our  disposal,  we 
hunted  for  an  unexplored  portion  of  the  town,  and 
taking  one  electric  car  to  its  limit,  and  transferring 
to  still  another,  we  went  in  the  only  remaining  un- 
seen point  of  the  compass,  and  returned  in  time  for 
our  boat,  at  half-past  five.     We  carried  back  to  Ta- 

341 


coma,  besides  beautiful  roses  sent  by  our  friend, 
wonderfully  pleasant  impressions  of  the  industrious 
spirit  and  energy  of  Seattle,  with  its  pleasant  homes 
and  its  active  business  quarter.  Surely  this  western 
country  is  the  place  for  energetic  business  enter- 
prises, but  the  newness  of  the  place  and  surround- 
ings, is  almost  as  depressing,  as  it  is  remarkable  in 
its  growth  and  sure  and  steady  development.  A 
lovely  sail  back  to  Tacoma,  with  dehghtful  music  in 
the  evening  to  rest  our  tired  brains,  and  an  early  to 
bed,  brought  to  an  end  a  pleasant  and  enjoyable 
day. 

FRIDAY,  AUGUST  28TH. 

T_J  OT,  very,  very  hot,  but  after  breakfast  Jamie 
and  I  mustered  up  courage,  and  went  up  to 
Dr.  Y.'s  to  take  a  photograph  of  the  house  and 
family,  and  the  Doctor's  office,  as  I  had  promised. 
Before  returning,  we  made  a  short  morning  call  on 
Mrs.  W.  and  Miss  C,  then  came  down  town  to  do  a 
few  errands,  and  had  a  quiet  afternoon. 

About  half-past  six,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  arrived,  and 
dined  with  us  and  we  had  a  very  pleasant  evening 
after,  with  them  and  the  Y.s  who  came  down  to 
hear  the  music  and  to  dance.  Tuesday  and  Friday 
are  dancing  nights,  and  owing  to  some  queer  freak, 
Friday  has  become  "  the  night "  of  the  week.  This 
evening,  the  parlor  was  quite  full  of  gaily  dressed 
young  women,  and  young  men  in  evening  dress,  and 
our  friends  seemed  to  enjoy  it  so  much,  that  they 

342 


did   not  leave  until  the  music  stopped,  at  twelve 
o'clock. 

SATURDAY,  AUGUST  29TH. 

A  WARM  but  bright  day,  and  a  quiet  rest  on  the 
'^  piazza  in  big  chairs,  listening  to  the  dreamy- 
delicious  music  of  the  artistic  Spanish  Students. 
While  I  was  dressing  for  dinner,  a  card  came  up 
from  James,  saying  Mr.  B.  from  Seattle  had  arrived; 
he  had  come  to  spend  Sunday  with  us.  We  had  a 
very  pleasant  evening,  and  about  half-past  ten 
o'clock,  James  went  to  the  Club  with  him,  but  re- 
turned in  about  a  half  hour,  as  it  was  a  deserted 
place, — no  one  there. 

SUNDAY,  AUGUST    30TH. 

TDEAUTIFUL,  but  warm.  After  a  late  breakfast, 
we  amused  ourselves  looking  over  our  photo- 
graphs, and  watching  the  big  bear  and  pet  of  the 
Tacoma  Hotel,  which  was  brought  here  when  a  cub. 
After  luncheon,  by  invitation  from  Mr.  G.,  we  three 
(Mr.  B.,  James  and  I)  went  out  in  the  naphtha  launch 
again,  and  had  the  loveliest  afternoon  imaginable, 
on  Puget  Sound.  We  stopped  for  a  few  minutes  at 
the  Launch  Club,  but  the  most  of  our  four  hours  on 
the  water,  were  spent  in  steaming  in  and  out  of 
lovely  little  bays  and  coves,  and  it  was  simply  ideal 
to  He  there  in  that  little  boat,  and  dream  and  think. 
Our  evening  was  a  quiet  one,  sitting  and  chatting 
on  the  piazza. 

343 


TUESDAY,  SEPTEMBER   1ST. 

Wl  E  spent  a  pleasant  morning  on  the  piazza,  lis- 
tening to  the  Spanish  Students  for  the  last 
time,  also  received  calls  from  both  Dr.  Y.,  Mrs.  and 
Miss  Y.  and  their  friends.  One  of  the  Spanish  Stu- 
dents is  quite  a  clever  sculptor,  and  I  had  taken  an 
interest  in  his  work,  having  bought  a  little  as  a  curi- 
osity, and  also  induced  Mrs.  M.  to  do  the  same. 
The  polite  fellow  came  to  me  this  morning,  with  the 
loveliest  little  trifle  imaginable,  and  in  his  broken 
English,  and  with  a  terribly  low  bow,  asked  me  to 
accept  the  gift,  "with  his  compliments."  Jamie 
was  quite  touched  by  his  gratitude. 

After  a  little  more  packing,  and  luncheon.  Auntie, 
James  and  I  started  for  the  2.40  P.  M.  train  for 
Helena.  We  had  a  very  pleasant  trip  the  remain- 
der of  the  day,  and  found  Washington  an  interest- 
ing State,  quite  wild  and  unsettled,  but  made  beau- 
tiful by  its  forests  and  trees.  The  chief  crop  seemed 
to  be  hops,  for  we  saw  acres  and  acres  devoted  to 
nothing  else,  and  as  this  is  the  picking  season,  the 
great,  heavy,  bushy  poles  were  laden  with  the  light 
yellow-green  harvest,  and  all  through  the  country 
the  bright  dresses  of  the  Indian  women  might  be 
seen,  in  between  the  rows  of  hop-poles,  picking  the 
heavy  crop  into  wooden  cribs  or  cradles.  It  was  an 
interesting  scene,  especially  viewed  for  the  first 
time.  The  lumber  camps  give  one  such  pictur- 
esque glimpses,  of  what  must  be  a  most  monotonous 

344 


mode  of  living.  It  brought  back  to  me  what  I  had 
so  often  heard  of  olden  times,  of  early  settlements 
in  a  new  country,  and  I  felt  as  if  I  could  see,  with 
mine  own  eyes,  what  the  pioneer  used  to  do,  and 
put  up  with,  in  the  **good  old  days."  It  was  prob- 
ably more  interesting  to  see,  than  to  experience. 

The  scenery  was  enjoyable,  but  our  greatest  en- 
tertainment came,  when  we  began  to  climb  the 
mountains,  to  cross  the  Cascade  Range.  The  trestles 
were  numerous  and  very,  very  high,  and  finally,  as  we 
stopped  suddenly  in  a  snow-shed,  and  in  a  cloud  of 
smoke  from  the  engine,  I  asked  the  brakeman  what 
was  the  trouble.  "A  trestle  on  fire,  I  believe,"  he 
answered,  **  we  were  told  in  the  valley  about  it." 
Sure  enough,  it  was  so,  but  an  expert  had  come  to 
examine,  and  pronounced  it  safe,  and  over  we  went, 
but  the  old  bridge  grunted  and  groaned,  and 
creaked  and  cracked,  as  if  quite  out  of  temper  that 
we  were  so  short  a  time  detained,  and  seemed  to 
feel  so  safe.  At  the  top  of  the  mountain,  we  passed 
through  a  most  marvelous  tunnel,  called  "  Stam- 
pede Tunnel,*'  two  miles  in  length,  and  lighted  with 
electricity.  We  all  sat  on  the  rear  platform  and  en- 
joyed the  sight,  for  the  perspective  lent  beauty  to 
the  scene.  It  was  like  the  Hoosac  Tunnel,  only  not 
so  long.  The  greatest  interest  of  the  entire  even- 
ing was,  however,  the  burning  forest  through  which 
we  passed.  Like  some  great  fiery  furnace,  the 
heat  penetrating,  sometimes  even  through  the  closed 
windows   of  the  car,  the  forest  would  gleam   and 

345 


glare  and  glow  in  its  frenzy  of  flames,  great  curling 
columns  of  fire  and  smoke  rising  upwards,  as  if  to 
dim  the  glory  of  the  stars.  Sparks  flew  right  and 
left ;  stumps  dried  and  parched  for  want  of  rain, 
were  transformed  into  burning  blazing  caldrons 
and  caves  of  fire,  great  glaring  flames  sticking  out 
at  little  openings  and  charred  places,  like  eyes  and 
tongues  of  torture.  Our  way  was  through  these 
burning  forests  for  an  hour  or  more,  and  was  so 
weird  and  wonderful  in  the  blackness  of  the  night, 
making  one  feel  the  marvelous  power  of  the  spirit 
of  fire,  and  as  if  we  were  running  through  a  corner 
of  the  Infernal  Regions,  just  to  behold,  without 
feeling,  the  blistering  fiend.  Way  up  on  the  moun- 
tain top,  in  one  place,  the  fires  were  kindled  to  the 
highest  pitch,  and  one  could  easily  imagine  the  de- 
struction of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  Great  tongues 
of  bright  red  flames  licked  the  heavens  in  their  fury, 
jumping  and  leaping  from  tree  to  tree,  as  if  playing 
tag  on  the  tree-tops,  and  as  one  after  another,  of 
noble  bearing  and  ancient  lineage,  tumbled  and  fell, 
great  columns  of  smoke  and  sparks  announced  the 
downfall  of  these  monarchs  of  the  mountains. 

WEDNESDAY,  SEPTEMBER  2ND. 

'^^rE  had  a  pleasant  journey  to-day,  as  we  passed 
through  a  part  of  Idaho,  and  that  is  a  most 
attractive  and  fertile  state.  Our  road  lay  beside  the 
Snake  River,  which,  true  to  its  name,  winds  its  ser- 
pent-like and  tortuous  course  toward  the  Columbia 

346 


River,  through  great  basaltic  walls.  It  was  most 
picturesque  and  remarkable. 

Soon  after  breakfast,  we  reached  Hope,  Idaho, 
which  is  situated  on  the  exquisite  Lake  Pond 
Oreille,  and  here,  to  our  joy,  although  we  reached 
Hope  about  ten  o'clock,  we  left  at  eleven  o'clock, 
for  it  was  the  first  change  in  time,  on  our  march  to- 
ward the  East.  At  Hope,  the  houses  are  meagre 
and  poor,  and  business  does  not  seem  to  be  particu- 
larly flourishing,  for  on  a  tiny  one-room  shanty  were 
two  signs,  a  little  bright  barber's  pole,  and  near  it 
on  the  door  was  also  "  F.  W.  May,  DentistT 

We  passed  through  the  Flat- Head  Indian  Reser- 
vation, and  saw  the  buildings  of  the  Agency,  which 
is  under  Catholic  control.  They  say  it  is  a  well- 
managed  and  interesting  reservation,  that  the  Flat- 
head Indians  in  winter  live  in  log  cabins,  and  have 
learned  to  raise  grain  and  potatoes,  and  cattle  and 
horses  are  their  stock  also.  These  Indians  boast 
that  their  tribe  has  never  killed  a  white  man.  As 
our  train  went  through  these  lands,  we  could  see 
parties  of  Indians,  cantering  across  the  open  country, 
in  groups  of  three  or  five,  their  brilliant  blankets 
producing  quite  a  contrast  with  the  green  of  the 
foliage  and  the  bronze  of  the  grasses. 

We  were  quite  tired  before  we  reached  Helena,  at 
10.40  P.  M.,  then  we  had  four  miles  in  a  steam-motor 
to  Hotel  Broadwater.  A  good  feast  with  our  let- 
ters, and  then  we  tumbled  into  bed  and  were  lost 
in  pleasant  dreams. 

347 


THURSDAY,  SEPTEMBER   3RD. 

JAMIE  and  I  awoke  this  morning  as  the  clock 
pointed  to  ten,  and  quickly  ordered  a  light 
breakfast  served  in  our  room,  knowing  the  iron-clad 
rules  of  these  Western  hotels.  A  gentleman  in  the 
room  next  to  us  exclaimed,  just  after  we  awoke, 
in  most  irate  tones,  "  The  idea  of  that  darkey  tell- 
ing me  I  was  late  for  breakfast,"  and  to  avoid  that 
annoyance,  we  had  coffee,  etc.,  in  our  room.  After 
that.  Auntie,  James  and  I  strolled  out  to  see  the 
surroundings  of  the  Hotel  Broadwater. 

Nobody  can  imagine  such  weary  wastes,  such 
rolling  hills  and  mounds,  utterly  devoid  of  vegeta- 
tion, or  any  vestige  of  green  in  fact.  The  Hotel 
Broadwater  with  its  trees,  shrubs  and  flowers,  is  a 
perfect  revelation  to  these  mountain  people,  to  think 
that  anything,  with  any  pretentions  to  beauty,  can  be 
made  out  of  such  a  barren  wilderness.  The  imme- 
diate surroundings  of  the  Hotel  are,  however,  pretty 
and  pleasing,  and  quietly  restful.  The  greatest 
attraction  is  the  fine  Natatorium,  really  an  imposing 
building,  quite  Moorish  in  design  and  finish.  It  is 
a  huge  building,  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  long, 
one  hundred  and  fifty  broad,  and  is  all  one  big  water- 
tank,  with  numerous  rooms  surrounding  it  for  bath- 
ers. It  is  a  superb  room,  vaulted  and  well  lighted  by 
stained  glass  windows.  On  each  side  are  twenty- 
four  large  round  ones,  of  brilliant  colors,  and  as 
many  smaller  ones  over  them,  making  a  very  pretty 

348 


effect,  with  the  colored  rays  of  sunshine.  At  one 
end  of  this  room  is  a  tremendous  water  fall,  tumbling 
and  bubbling  over  rocks  and  stones,  and  some  one 
said,  "  It  was  such  a  good  idea  to  build  a  Natatorium 
over  such  a  fine  cascade.*'  The  cascade  is  made, 
however,  and  the  spring  water  is  carried  several 
miles  in  pipes,  and  brought  over  these  rocks  into  the 
Natatorium.  It  is  a  natural  mineral  spring,  and  is 
so  very  hot,  that  it  takes  500,000  gallons  a  day  of 
cool  water,  to  make  it  possible  to  bathe  in  it.  This 
Broadwater  Hotel  and  Natatorium  is  a  fashionable 
and  popular  health  and  pleasure  resort,  in  embryo, 
but  just  now  it  is  young  and  new,  and  needs  time  to 
bring  out  its  salient  points. 

About  two  o'clock,  we  took  the  electric  car  and 
went  into  Helena,  to  see  the  richest  city,  for  its  size 
and  number  of  inhabitants,  in  our  United  States. 
We  met  a  friend  of  Auntie's,  a  very  pleasant  young 
fellow,  who  gave  us  much  information,  and  showed 
us  some  pretty  nuggets  of  gold,  just  as  they  had 
been  found  in  a  Montana  Gold  Mine.  Later  we 
went  to  a  place  right  in  the  city,  on  a  very  promi- 
nent corner,  where  workmen  were  digging  founda- 
tions for  a  new  Club  house.  Down  in  the  dirt,  with 
little  tin  pans,  were  boys,  and  some  men,  bringing  up 
pans  full  of  the  brown  soil,  which  we  watched  the;n 
wash  and  sift,  to  find  the  gold  deposits.  It  was  a 
funny  sight,  to  see  a  dozen  men  and  boys  all  shaking 
pans  of  dirt,  in  a  little  water-trough,  crouching  down 
in  the  mud,  seeking  gold  which  they  found  in  little 

349 


yellow  shining  lumps,  and  they  immediately  assumed 
such  airs,  with  their  riches  and  success  as  gold-diggers. 
We  tried  to  buy  a  few  flakes  from  one  youth,  but  he 
said  he  preferred  to  retain  them.  It  was  a  novel  ex- 
perience, to  see  gold  brought  out  of  the  soil  in  the 
very  heart  of  the  city. 

Helena  was  an  unusually  unattractive  place  to  us, 
but  there  are  some  fine  buildings,  attractive  houses 
and  homes,  and  the  society  is  delightful.  Auntie 
had  met  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Broadwater  on  the  Queen  (for 
Alaska)  also  Judge  C,  wife  and  daughter,  and  they 
made  it  very  pleasant  for  us.  One  young  lady  said 
to  me,  "  We  all  like  Helena,  I  suppose,  because  we 
go  away  from  it  so  much !  " 

James  suggested  our  walking  to  the  end  of  the 
Main  Street,  which  being  an  undertaking  requiring 
neither  time  nor  exertion,  we  accomplished.  We 
were  surrounded  on  every  side  by  men  of  all  ranks 
and  grades,  and  soon  saw  the  reason,  for  two  build- 
ings bore  the  inscription  "The  Headquarters  of 
Licensed  Gambling  House"  in  big  bold  letters. 
Cow-boys,  in  their  leggins  of  buck-skin,  their  som- 
breros and  rough  jackets,  were  liberally  sprinkled 
through  the  fortune-seekers,  and  faces  full  of  hope, 
others  of  despair,  were  easily  distinguished  in  the 
crowd. 

We  were  on  our  way  back  in  our  electric  car,  when 
a  genuine  prairie  sand-storm  struck  and  enveloped 
us,  and  such  a  sudden  and  determined  storm  as  it 
was.     Not  a  crack  or  crevice  that  it  did  not  seek  out 

350 


and  go  through.  By  the  time,  however,  that  we 
reached  the  Hotel,  the  storm  had  somewhat  abated, 
and  a  rainbow  stood  out,  arching  royally  across  the 
city,  which  it  seemed  to  hold  in  its  embrace. 

In  the  evening  we  visited  the  Natatorium,  to  wit- 
ness a  base-ball  game,  played  in  the  pool,  and  as 
some  seventy  or  eighty  bathers  were  in  the  water,  it 
gave  us  much  merriment  to  watch  their  antics.  A 
trapeze  tempted  athletes,  a  canoe  easily  capsized 
captivated  others,  while  a  most  interesting  toboggan 
slide  made  fun  and  frolic,  as  it  hurriedly  deposited 
its  adventurous  visitors,  in  wild  hot  haste,  far  out  in 
the  tank.  We  watched  it  for  some  time,  then  re- 
turning to  our  hotel,  we  listened  to  some  music, 
danced,  and  soon  retired. 

FRIDAY,  SEPTEMBER  4TH. 

A  DAY  of  little  moment,  until  we  left  Hotel 
'^  Broadwater,  at  three  o'clock,  and  drove  into 
Helena,  to  take  the  4.40  P.  M.  train  for  Livingston. 
No  sleeping  cars  were  on  our  train,  so  we  seated  our- 
selves in  an  ordinary  coach,  to  ride  until  after  seven 
o'clock,  when  we  were  to  reach  Logan  and  take  the 
Butte  train  there.  It  was  a  most  desolate  country 
through  which  we  traveled,  until  we  reached  the 
Missouri  River,  and  there  a  band  of  fertile  ground 
stretched  out  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  We  were 
startled  at  one  place,  by  four  quick,  sharp  reports  of 
some  fire  arm,  and  when  James  returned  from  the 
smoking  car,  he  told  us  that  the  **  News  Agent  "  had 

351 


taken  aim  out  of  the  car  window,  as  we  were  mov- 
ing along,  and  with  four  pistol  shots  he  had  killed 
four  wild  ducks.  Soon  this  remarkably  plain  unin- 
teresting man  came  into  our  car,  selling  peaches.  We 
spoke  to  him,  saying  we  had  heard  he  was  a  good 
shot,  and  he  said  "  Oh,  shooting  four  ducks  aint 
anything.  Last  week  I  fired  twelve  shots  out  of 
two  six-shooters,  and  knocked  down  eleven  ducks 
out  of  the  twelve  shots."  I  naturally  asked  "When 
did  you  learn  to  shoot  ? "  He  answered,  *'  I  was 
brought  up  in  Montana,  where  a  feller  had  to  learn 
to  shoot  to  live."  As  he  spoke,  he  pulled  out  a 
little  "bull-dog  pistol"  (he  called  it),  and  handling 
it  lovingly,  he  showed  it  to  me,  and  to  my  remark 
that  some  men  I  supposed  always  carried  such 
things  with  them,  he  answered,  **I  aint  in  good 
health,  when  I  haven't  a  thing  like  that  about  me." 
He  then  told  us  a  little  of  what  those  "  old  days  " 
used  to  be  in  Montana,  where  a  man's  life  was  noth- 
ing and  where  no  warning  was  ever  given,  but  a  life 
demanded  and  taken  in  one  moment.  He  had  crossed 
the  plains  in  an  emigrant  train,  composed  of  fifteen 
canvas-covered  wagons,  and  consisting  of  over  one 
hundred  and  fifty  souls,  men,  women  and  children 
together.  These  trains  often  took  six  months  to 
cross  the  plains.  The  Indians  attacked  them  when 
nearing  Helena,  and  only  seventy  of  that  little  com- 
pany ever  reached  their  new  home.  He  told  us 
much  of  Gen.  Miles  and  Gen.  Custer,  and  waxed 
eloquent   when   speaking   of  the  latter.      He   said 

352 


"  Gen.  Custer  warn't  no  white-livered  chap,  and  there 
wasn't  a  man  in  the  West  who'd  speak  agin  him.  His 
only  trouble  was  he  was  too  bravey  /  "  A  couple  of 
nights  ago,  at  the  end  of  the  run,  he  was  held  up  by 
a  robber,  but  he  said  "  I  just  held  up  my  little  bull- 
dog, and  persuaded  him  that  he'd  better  take  a  little 
walk  he-self."  After  changing  trains  at  Logan,  this 
Montana  shooter  came  through  the  car  again  selling 
something,  and  James  said  to  him,  laughingly 
"  killed  anybody  since  I  saw  you  ?  "  "  No,  but  I 
wish  you  was  going  through  to  the  end  of  my  run, 
and  Fd  show  you  the  latest  modes  for  doin'  it,"  he 
answered. 

We  reached  Logan  at  7.35  P.  M.,  and  our  train  be- 
ing late,  we  seated  ourselves  on  our  luggage  to  wait 
comfortably.  A  dozen  houses  and  an  engine  switch 
house,  and  about  a  hundred  people  compose  the  vil- 
lage of  Logan.  Our  **  News  Agent "  still  enter- 
tained us  with  blood-curdling  accounts,  and  soon  our 
little  group  was  joined  by  a  tiny  specimen  of  hu- 
manity, in  the  shape  of  a  little  boy,  in  trousers  evi- 
dently made  out  of  his  father's  old  ones,  for  they 
were  alarmingly  ample  and  "  bagged "  about  his 
ankles.  A  coat  four  sizes  too  big,  a  funny  round 
skull-cap,  a  basket  on  his  arm,  and  a  more  remark- 
ably ludicrous  specimen  could  not  be  found.  He 
was  tiny  and  such  a  character.  We  asked  his  age, 
*^  just  ten," — what  he  did  every  day,  "herd  cattle  on 
horseback."  Auntie,  in  a  most  impressively  earnest 
way  said,   ''Little  boy  don't  you  goto  school?" 

353 


**  No  marm  !  "  answered  the  young  hopeful.  "  But, 
added  Auntie,  *'  don't  you  want  to  learn  some- 
thing," and  as  if  to  inspire  ambition  in  the  little 
breast,  she  said  "  what  will  you  do  when  you  grow 
up,  if  you  don't  learn  something  ?  "  Drawing  his  lit- 
tle shoulders  up  into  their  ample  covering,  eyeing 
Auntie  all  the  time,  he  drawled  out,  with  the  tone 
and  emphasis  of  a  genuine  and  hardened  ruffian, 
'^ I  don't  know  and  I  don't  care!''  Just  then 
some  one  asked  him  to  go  and  bring  us  some 
wonderful  petrified  wood,  found  in  that  vicinity, 
and  he  showed  decided  disinclination  to  any  such 
exertion,  and  pleaded  "  no  time,"  but  when  the 
Agent  insisted  upon  it,  his  energy  came  out  in  such 
a  vigorous  *'  Gee-whiz  "  and  away  he  ran,  and  brought 
us  two  fine  specimens,  which  we  forthwith  purchased. 
It  was  duly  admired,  and  somebody  suggested  a 
doubt  as  to  its  genuineness,  when  the  little  fellow 
shouted,  "  Bet  your  boots,  it  is !  " 

Our  train  came  at  8  P.  M.,  and  at  eleven  o'clock 
we  reached  the  "  Albemarle,"  at  Livingston,  a  big- 
sounding  name  for  a  little  moderate  hotel.  We  soon 
slept,  however,  and  knew  nothing  until  the  next 
morning. 


354 


THE  YELLOWSTONE. 


SATURDAY,   SEPTEMBER    5TH. 

A  BRIGHT  lovely  morning,  and  glorious  for  our 
'^  trip  to  the  Yellowstone  Park.  After  a  seven 
o'clock  breakfast,  we  started  out  to  spend  the  few 
minutes  before  our  train  left,  at  a  quarter  past  eight, 
in  seeing  some  sights  in  Livingston,  of  which  we 
had  heard.  At  a  taxidermist's,  we  saw  one  of  the 
very  few  mountain  goats  in  existence,  and  were 
right  glad  to  get  the  chance. 

Our  trip  from  Livingston  to  Cinnabar  was  through 
lovely  country,  but  the  special  feature  of  interest 
was  Auntie's  and  my  ride  on  the  engine.  Jamie 
made  love  to  the  engineer,  and  Auntie  went  on  the 
engine  when  we  left  Cinnabar,  and  rode  some  twelve 
miles  or  more.  I  went  on  it  then,  and  rode  for 
three-quarters  of  an  hour,  with  Jamie  near,  as  he 
feared  I  would  be  nervous.  What  an  unusual  sensa- 
tion it  was !  We  bounded  off  into  space  at  a  tre- 
mendous pace,  tossing  and  tumbling  along,  as  if  on 
the  wings  of  the  wind.  It  was  awfully  exciting  and 
exhilarating,  and  put  me  all  in  a  glow,  but  I  never 
before  realized  how  thoroughly  we  travelers  were  in 

355 


the  hands,  and  at  the  mercy,  of  the  engineer.  It  was 
terrible  to  contemplate,  and  to  see  the  careless  man- 
ner in  which  he  turned  his  back  to  the  road  ahead, 
every  once  in  a  while,  and  joked  and  laughed  with 
us  all.  I  think  I  ran  that  train  for  those  few  miles, 
for  I  never  took  my  eyes  off  the  track  ahead,  and 
never  felt  more  responsibility  than  I  did  then.  As 
we  neared  a  trestle,  the  engineer  slowed  up  a  little, 
and  as  he  did  so  he  said, — **  I  go  slow  over  those 
things,  so  that  if  we  go  through,  we'll  go  easy." 
And  just  then,  as  he  finished  telling  me  of  having 
run  over  six  horses  the  other  day,  as  we  tore  madly 
around  a  great  curve,  cut  out  of  a  tremendous  rock- 
cliff,  he  said, — "  I  slow  up  here  a  bit  too,  for  rocks 
are  not  half  so  nice  to  run  into  as  horses."  He  told 
me  that  engineers  often  slept  at  their  posts  at  night, 
for,  as  he  said, — **We  are  all  human,  and  can't  help 
it  sometimes."  It  was  quite  an  experience,  and  I 
never  before  flew  out  into  space  in  such  a  hurry,  for 
it  gives  one  a  queer  sensation,  to  feel  the  engine 
throb  as  it  puffs  and  groans,  and  to  be  pushed  out 
into  the  world,  in  company  with  such  a  tremendous 
power.  Nothing  happened  to  harm  us,  but  when 
the  engineer  lifted  me  from  my  seat  in  the  cab  to 
the  ground,  when  stopping  to  take  water,  my  little 
side-bag,  or  "  valise  "  as  Mr.  H.  called  it,  slipped  from 
my  belt,  and  I  discovered  my  loss  too  late  to  search 
for  it  then  and  there.  It  completely  upset  me  for 
the  rest  of  the  day,  as  it  contained  some  few  things 
of  value,  which  I  had  never  carried  in  it  until  that 

356 


day.  I  hardly  noticed  the  drive  from  Livingston  to 
the  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  Hotel,  although  I  knew 
it  was  through  most  beautiful  caflons,  and  I  have 
read  that  they  were  finely  marked  by,  and  gave 
strong  evidence  of,  the  Ice  Age  of  our  Continent. 
After  luncheon  I  took  a  rest  to  quiet  my  ruffled 
spirits,  and  about  half  past  four  o'clock  James, 
Auntie  and  I  went  out  to  examine  the  wonderful 
formations  near  this  hotel,  at  which  I  had  been  peep- 
ing at  intervals  from  my  window.     This  was  our 

FIRST  GLIMPSE  OF  WONDERLAND. 

C  TANDING  below,  and  looking  up  at  this  small 
mountain  of  glorious  formation,  with  its  terrace 
upon  terrace, — its  steam-covered  springs,  all  lifting 
their  vapors  in  adoration  to  the  skies, — the  brilliant 
colors  contrasting  gloriously  with  the  great  masses 
of  pure  white, — one  could  hardly  help  feeling  that  a 
new  world  was  opening  for  us, — a  new  order  of 
things,  demanding  our  watchful  attention,  and  com- 
manding our  praise.  We  stood  still  to  see  it  in  its 
entirety,  before  examining  it  in  detail,  and  this 
great  and  marvelous  formation  was  glorious  and 
grand  indeed,  to  our  eyes.  At  the  foot  of  this  set 
of  terraces,  stands  a  great  colossal  pyramid,  rising 
fifty  or  sixty  feet  from  a  level  surrounding,  and  as  it 
points  upward,  with  its  layer  upon  layer  of  formation, 
once  the  seat  of  a  powerful  geyser,  which  has  de- 
parted but  left  this  monument  to  survive  it,  it  pre- 
sents  a  most  imposing  picture,  and  has  been  most 

357 


appropriately  named  **  Liberty  Cap."  Little  by 
little,  slowly,  for  lack  of  breath  (for  these 
Mammoth  Hot  Springs  stand  at  an  altitude 
of  6,200  feet),  we  climbed  these  marvelous 
terraces,  and  as  we  threaded  our  way  between  the 
bubbling  and  boiling  springs,  and  the  little  rivulets 
which  chase  one  another  down  the  hill-side,  we  were 
lost  in  wonder  and  admiration,  and  stirred  to  our 
depths  by  these  wonderful  and  marvelous  sights. 
There  are  one  hundred  and  seventy  acres  in  this  hill 
and  plateau,  over  fifty  terraces,  and  as  many  active 
springs,  and  it  is  divided  into  three  parts,  Minerva's 
Terrace,  Jupiter's  Terrace,  and  the  Pulpit.  The  hot 
springs  have  formed  all  these,  evaporating  in  steam 
and  leaving  the  most  exquisite  and  delicate  deposits, 
as  truly  inimitable  as  the  sunshine.  These  layers,  or 
deposits,  form  the  most  peculiar  fluted  edges,  curling 
and  scalloping  and  waving  like  beautiful  frills,  and 
forming  terrace  after  terrace,  transforming  all  into 
magnificent  pictures  by  the  luminous  colors.  These 
springs,  with  their  frost-like  rims,  their  flake-like 
frills  of  coral  and  fret-work,  set  one  against  the 
other,  in  innumerable  shapes  and  sizes,  in  terraces 
and  layers,  made  us  feel  that  we  had  never  before 
beheld  such  grandeur  in  colors.  Nothing  we  had 
ever  seen  could  be  compared  to  this  beauty,  all  won- 
derful as  it  was,  and  after  standing  for  some  time, 
gazing  and  searching  in  my  mind  for  something, 
which  might  be  used  as  an  example  of  its  shapes 
and   character   of  formation,   a  homely  simile  sug- 

358 


gested  itself,  of  colossal  tarts  and  pies,  with  crimped 
crusts,'and  indented  edges,  only  all  in  white,  and  rose- 
color,  and  deep  red.  In  these  pools  or  springs,  which 
were  too  hot  to  do  more  than  dip  in  our  finger  and 
withdraw  it  quickly,  were  the  most  delicate  frost- 
work, and  honey-comb  deposits,  like  feathers  in  the 
many  colored  pools,  for  one  pool  would  be  a  heav- 
enly blue,  the  one  next  it,  perhaps,  an  emerald 
green,  then  a  yellowish  green,  until  one  was  be- 
wildered by  the  combinations  and  prismatic  tints. 
Some  spaces  between  these  springs  were  hard,  but 
streaked,  as  if  some  one  had  swept  them  when  wet 
and  the  broom-marks  were  distinctly  visible.  Some 
great  formations,  like  frosted  or  frozen  cascades  and 
waves,  were  like  whipped  cream  in  their  velvety  soft- 
ness, and  the  white  and  glistening  stalactites  stood 
out  against  the  clear  sky,  like  great  organ-pipes,  and 
it  seemed  to  me  that  some  angel  from  the  heavens 
could  strike  those  glorious  gems,  and  bring  forth  the 
harmony  of  the  past,  when  all  nature  was  in  tune 
with  this  great  glory.  Perhaps  the  ''  Lost  Chord  "  or 
that  **  Great  and  Last  Amen  "  is  locked  up  in  these 
frozen  fortresses,  to  swell  forth  on  the  Judgment 
Day.  As  we  wandered  over  these  terraces,  we  walked 
upon  the  white  deposit,  which  crunched  and  creaked 
beneath  our  feet  like  snow  in  winter,  or  an  ash-path 
in  some  mairshy  place.  It  seemed  to  sing  a  little  low 
soft  song,  at  least  to  me,  as  I  wandered  thoughtfully 
along,  and  when  I  exclaimed  aloud,  thinking  audibly 
to  my  surprise,"  I  feel  as  if  I  were  walking  on  the  ashes 

359 


of  the  past,"a  dear  old  gentleman  who  had  joined  us, 
exclaimed"  I  fancy  that  is  just  what  you  are  doing." 
One  impressive  thing  to  us  were  the  waves  of 
color,  in  triangles  and  rectangles,  which  were  so 
beautifully  blended  and  so  artistically  shaded,  from 
crimson  and  maroon  to  pink  and  rose-color,  from 
brown  to  the  most  delicate  yellow,  with  grey,  and 
white,  and  black,  so  interwoven  that  it  was  a  mag- 
nificent spectacle.  Over  all  these  colors  a  stream 
of  hot-water  constantly  coursed,  which  in  the  sun- 
shine was  like  a  silver  sheen  or  veil,  blending  each 
color  and  shade  in  exquisite  harmony.  On  the  same 
terrace  on  which  this  marvelous  coloring  was  visi- 
ble, was  a  similar  formation  of  purest  white,  which 
made  a  dazzling  and  wonderful  contrast. 

SUNDAY,  SEPTEMBER  6tH. 

"\  17" HEN  James  interviewed  the  manager  of  the 
stage  line  yesterday  afternoon,  and  found 
we  were  not  certain  of  a  stage  for  our  start  into  the 
Yellowstone,  on  Monday  morning,  we  were  quite 
perplexed  and  did  not  know  what  to  do.  Our  plan 
to  rest  quietly  over  the  Sabbath,  seemed  to  meet 
obstacles  on  every  side,  for  the  only  stage  for  such 
a  small  party — and  the  only  driver,  could  be  obtained 
for  a  Sunday  morning  start,  and  no  other !  After  a 
serious  consultation,  and  a  struggle  with  our  con- 
sciences, we  found  we  were  really  obliged  to  do  so, 
and  at  eight,  or  to  be  perfectly  exact,  at  8.15  A.  M., 
James,  Auntie   and  I  started  from  the   Mammoth 

360 


Hot  Springs  Hotel,  in  **  our  own  hired  coach  and 
four,"  for  the  tour  of  the  famous  Yellowstone 
Park. 

Our  glimpse  yesterday  afternoon,  into  Wonder- 
land, was  enough  to  make  us  truly  enthusiastic  and 
full  of  anticipation,  and  we  started  on  our  long  drive, 
as  bright  as  the  proverbial  buttons.  Our  way,  for 
the  first  twenty-two  miles,  as  far  as  Norris  Basin,  was 
beautifully  wooded,  through  most  interesting  coun- 
try, over  hills  and  through  valleys,  which  comman- 
ded extensive  and  exquisite  views.  Mountain  peaks 
crowned  with  snow,  escorted  us  in  their  rocky  grand- 
eur, to  the  **  Golden  Gate "  of  Yellowstone  Park, 
and  there  left  us  to  ponder  and  wonder  at  the  great 
basaltic  formations,  the  lava  of  ancient  eruptions, 
which  has  hardened  in  centuries  into  marvelous  pin- 
nacles and  pillars,  and  which  derives  its  name  from  the 
golden  moss  or  lichen,  which  clings  so  lovingly  to  its 
many  shaped  and  multitude  of  formations,  making 
a  glorious  gold  mantle  over  all.  Bunsen's  Peak, 
Electric  Peak,  the  highest  in  the  Park  (ii,ooo  feet). 
Belle  and  Quadruple  then  came  into  view,  with 
beautiful  waterfalls  to  enhance  the  beauty  of  the 
scene,  and  make  the  contrast  of  light  and  shade  per- 
fect. Beaver  Lake  interested  us  much,  because  it 
was  full  of  dams  made  by  the  beavers,  who  stopped  the 
waters  of  the  creek,  and  made  this  lovely  little  lake 
by  their  work.  A  beaver  house  was  plainly  visible, 
and  is  said  to  be  inhabited  now. 

Our  greatest  interest,  however,  was  aroused  when 
361 


we  reached  the  Obsidian  Clififs,  which  skirt  the  shore 
of  Beaver  Lake  for  some  distance.  From  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty,  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  these 
great  jet  black  cliffs  rise  into  the  air,  in  almost  verti- 
cal columns,  like  basalt  in  pentagonal  pinnacles,  and 
like  basalt  when  broken,  they  divide  into  pieces 
having  one  concave  and  one  convex  surface.  Obsi- 
dian is  a  species  of  lava ;  it  is  volcanic  glass,  and  very 
rare.  Although  found  in  other  places  in  small 
quantities,  there  is  not  a  cliff  like  this  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains,  or  anywhere,  except  in  Mexico.  This 
Obsidian  Cliff  is  considered  unequalled  in  the  world, 
and  it  is  really  a  grand  sight.  It  is  exactly  like  jet, 
and  glistens  in  the  sunshine  like  genuine  glass.  It 
is  opaque.  It  was  necessary  to  construct  a  carriage- 
road  at  its  base,  and  this  was  quite  a  difficult  opera- 
tion. Large  fires  were  built  upon  the  largest  masses, 
and  when  the  obsidian  was  sufficiently  expanded  by 
the  heat,  cold  water  was  dashed  upon  it,  which  frac- 
tured the  blocks  so  that  they  could  be  handled.  It 
is  said  that  "  this  is  the  only  piece  of  glass  carriage 
road  in  the  world."  It  is  a  quarter  of  a  mile  in 
length.  It  is  very  interesting  to  see  the  different 
varieties  of  this  marvelous  glass.  Pure  black  is  the 
rarest  and  best,  but  some  of  it  is  flaked  with  yellow 
and  red,  some  with  white,  pink  and  blue.  The  Indians 
used  to  visit  these  cliffs  for  obsidian,  for  their  arrow- 
heads and  weapons,  and  it  was  such  a  sacred  spot  to 
them,  that  hereditary  enemies  used  to  meet  here  as 
friends,  and  it  was  neutral  ground. 

362 


We  had  not  gone  far  from  the  Obsidian  Cliffs,  when 
our  driver  asked  us  if  we  wanted  to  drink  some 
genuine  Apollinaris  water,  and  being  quite  ready 
for  drinks,  we  walked  a  short  distance  into  the 
woods,  and  found  a  fine  spring  of  mineral  water,  quite 
rivaling  its  namesake.  As  we  stood  near  the  spring, 
a  dear  little  squirrel  pranced  about  us,  as  tame  as  a 
kitten,  and  it  almost  came  into  our  hands.  We  saw 
some  lovely  lakes,  and  arsenic  springs,  containing 
genuine  poison,  and  labeled  on  a  big  board  "  danger- 
ous ! "  Suddenly  a  great  white  side  of  a  mountain 
attracted  our  attention,  and  it  was  puffing  and 
steaming  away  up  on  the  top,  and  being  our  first 
glimpse  of  a  geyser  district,  or  the  numerous  steam 
vents  of  that  locality,  we  were  much  impressed.  It 
is  called  "  Roaring  Mountain."  Soon,  by  our  road- 
way, singing  and  sizzling  and  sputtering  away,  was 
the  Devil's  Frying  Pan,  a  hot  spring  rising  to  the 
surface  in  the  shape  of  a  frying  pan.  The  steam 
and  boiling  process  made  the  water  dance  like 
genuine  devils  and  sprites,  and  they  sang  their  240*^ 
song  in  a  very  staccato  treble.  We  were  much 
amused  by  this  little  devilish  appearance,  but  our 
driver  laughed  at  our  enthusiasm,  saying  we  would 
hardly  notice  that  on  our  return  trip,  after  we  had 
seen  the  greater  wonders  of  the  Basin. 

After  dinner  at  Norris  Geyser  Basin,  a  place 
twenty-two  miles  from  Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  we 
wandered  out  to  get  our  first  view  of  genuine  and 
real  geysers.     We  walked  about  half  a  mile,  before 

363 


we  saw  any  real  manifestations  of  steam;  then,  all  at 
once  coming  to  the  top  of  a  little  knoll,  we  saw  the 
whole  Basin  stretched  out  before  us,  and  such  a 
revelation,  such  a  marvelous  sight  as  it  was.  A 
great  stretch  of  land  lay  before  us,  of  such  pure 
white  formation  that  it  was  dazzling  to  our  eyes. 
Great  masses  of  deep  red  appeared  at  intervals,  where 
the  iron  ore  had  been  deposited ;  sulphur  had  made 
other  spots  a  regular  green  and  yellow,  and  between 
these  deposits,  in  circular,  oblong,  small,  big  and 
tiny  shapes  were  the  hot  pools  and  springs,  smoking, 
puffing,  and  pulsating,  and  all  sending  such  volumes 
of  steam  up  to  the  skies,  that  the  whole  place  re- 
minded us  of  a  great  manufacturing  town,  the  build- 
ings hidden  by  the  steam,  but  the  roar  and  hum  and 
puff  of  machinery,  and  the  power  moving  it,  very 
distinct  and  audible.  Every  minute,  several  geysers 
near  us  would  throw  up  into  the  air  a  great  fountain 
and  spray  of  water  and  steam,  play  and  coquette  in 
mid-air  half  a  minute,  then  subside  to  accumulate 
strength  and  material  for  another  great  outburst. 
We  stood  silently  watching  this  new  and  marvelous 
sight,  when  we  were  horribly  conscious  of  heat  com- 
ing up  into  our  faces  and  under  our  clothes,  and 
looking  down  and  about  us,  we  discovered  that  we 
were  standing  over,  and  were  surrounded  by,  great 
cracks  in  the  earth's  crust,  which  were  sending  forth 
great  streams  of  steam  (if  steam  can  be  spoken  of  as 
a  stream).  The  holes,  and  crevices,  and  cracks,  were 
ugly  and  awful,  some  like  caves,  reaching  deep  down 

364 


into  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  others  great  yawning 
openings,  all  cracked  and  split  and  seamed,  and 
yellow  and  burned-looking,  and  all  sending  forth 
steam,  with  such  grunts  and  groans,  such  sputterings 
and  sighings,  that  we  were  quite  willing  to  move 
along.  The  sulphurous  odors  were  stifling,  and 
came  into  our  faces  in  great  volumes.  We  wan- 
dered along  the  road  which  is  made  through  this 
Basin,  until  we  approached  a  mammoth  and  much 
noisier  spring  than  we  had  seen,  and  being  enthusi- 
astic in  our  discoveries,  we  walked  back  from  the 
road  a  little,  in  among  some  queer  ^'  paint-pots," 
which  were  boiling  their  muddy  pastes  in  such  a 
sing-song  manner,  and  were  wonderful  indeed.  We 
were  unconscious  of  danger,  until  the  heat  through 
my  cork-sole  shoes  brought  me  back  to  common- 
place things,  and  feeling  of  the  shoe,  I  found  it  so 
hot  that  I  could  not  hold  the  sole  in  my  hand.  I 
then  leaned  down  to  touch  the  spot  on  which  I  stood, 
and  my  hand  was  nearly  blistered.  In  an  instant  we 
were  cautiously  picking  our  way  back  to  the  road, 
when  Aunt  Mary  gave  a  scream,  and  said  she  had 
burned  the  side  of  her  foot  badly.  It  pained  her  the 
rest  of  the  day.  A  story  came  to  my  mind  then,  of 
an  Irishman,  who  came  into  the  Park  with  a  friend, 
and  standing  and  looking  into  one  of  these  boiling 
pools  one  day,  he  called  to  his  friend,  *'  Bedad,  Pat, 
let*s  go  back,  Hell's  only  half  a  mile  ahead." 

One  great  crack  in  a  little  hollow  near  the  road, 
emits  such  a  powerful  steam  force,  that  it  comes 

36s 


forth  with  a  growl  and  a  roar,  and  is  appropriately 
named  **  The  Growler."  It  seemed  like  one  of  Hell's 
chimneys,  and  was  too  suggestive  of  the  Inferno  for 
us  to  remain  long.  The  trees  about  it  are  white 
and  dead,  as  if  their  life  had  been  suddenly  ended 
by  the  poisonous  gases,  which  pour  from  this  vent. 
We  read  in  a  guide  book  of  a  "  New  Crater," 
which  had  made  its  appearance  recently,  within  the 
last  twelve  or  fifteen  years,  and  which  is  watched 
with  great  interest  by  scientists.  We  found  it  in 
the  woods  near,  and  were  looking  into  its  awful 
mouth,  listening  to  the  thunder  and  hissing  down  in 
the  depths,  when,  with  a  spurt  and  a  dash,  a  great 
heaving  and  roaring,  it  began  to  play,  throwing  boil- 
ing water  over  the  place  we  had  been  occupying, 
while  we  were  skipping  to  points  of  safety,  to  watch 
it  from  afar.  It  was  too  awful  to  stay  long  near  its 
tremendous  power,  and  we  walked  along  to  places, 
where  the  steam  showed  us  there  were  other 
springs.  We  came  to  one  fine  Mud  Geyser,  as  it  is 
called,  its  great  pool  being  about  twelve  feet  in  di- 
ameter, and  its  walls  about  five  feet  high.  Seeing 
the  muddy  clay-colored  water  quite  agitated,  we 
waited  a  short  time  and  were  rewarded,  by  seeing  it 
play  finely.  The  water  rose  in  the  basin  until  it 
filled  the  entire  opening,  and  then  threw  up  a  drab- 
colored  spray,  and  continued  this  operation,  splash- 
ing and  dashing  high  into  the  air,  for  four  or  five 
minutes.  It  leaves  an  inky  deposit,  which  forms 
into  beautiful  shapes.     This  Mud  Geyser  plays  reg- 

366 


ularly  every  twenty  minutes,  and  we  waited  to  see 
it  a  second  time.  We  saw  "  Hurricane  Spring " 
and  the  great  "  Monarch  "  ;  the  latter  is  so  erratic  in 
its  playful  moods,  that  no  dependence  can  be 
placed  upon  it,  and  it  was  not  wise  for  us  to  wait, 
in  hopes  of  seeing  its  grand  display.  Conse- 
quently, after  two  hours  of  familiarity  with  the  gey- 
sers and  springs  of  Norris  Basin,  we  took  our  stage 
which  had  followed  us  along,  and  drove  twenty 
miles  farther  on,  to** Lower  Geyser  Basin."  We 
went  through  Gibbon's  Cafton,  a  most  exquisite  and 
beautiful  bit  of  scenery,  so  picturesque  and  delight- 
ful. As  we  were  driving  along,  we  came  suddenly 
to  one  of  the  loveliest  springs  we  had  seen,  right 
close  to  the  road,  alone  in  all  its  beauty,  and  com- 
ing near  to  its  circular  edge,  we  could  look  deep 
down  into  its  exquisite  depths,  for  rightly  called  was 
**  Beryl  Spring." 

We  made  two  fords,  one  across  Reservation 
Creek,  another  the  Fire-Hole  River,  and  at  last, 
about  5.45  P.  M.  we  reached  the  new  "  Fountain 
Hotel,"  at  the  Lower  Geyser  Basin.  Dumping  our 
luggage  hurriedly  in  our  rooms,  although  it  threat- 
ened rain,  we  went  out  to  see  the  formations  here 
and  to  be  in  time  if  any  of  the  big  geysers  should 
play.  The  formation  here  was  as  purely  white,  and 
as  tremendous  and  colossal,  as  our  wildest  imagin- 
ings could  have  pictured,  and  the  terraces  were 
finely  marked  and  colored.  The  great  Fountain 
Geyser,  whose  crater  is  thirty  feet  in  diameter,  with 

367 


its  depth  of  exquisite  blue  water,  its  sides  of  the 
most  dainty  colored  formation,  and  its  brilliant  de- 
posits, making  a  crinkled  edge  four  or  five  inches 
deep,  was  actively  boiling  and  bubbling,  but  '*  a 
keeper  of  the  peace,"  in  the  shape  of  a  gallant 
young  officer  of  the  guard,  which  is  placed  through- 
out the  Park,  informed  us  that  the  Fountain  would 
not  play  for  an  hour  at  least.  He  escorted  us  to 
see  the  Mammoth  Paint  Pots,  and  oh  how  fascinat- 
ingly beautiful  they  were !  A  great  pool  or  lake  of 
white  pasty  clay,  forty  feet  by  sixty  (with  walls  of 
its  own  formation,  five  or  six  feet  high,  on  three 
sides),  sputtering,  gurgling,  rising  in  globular 
masses,  making  cones  and  rings,  and  throwing  up 
jets  of  mud,  presented  a  spectacle  utterly  new  to 
us,  and  as  beautiful  as  it  was  bewitching.  It  capti- 
vated me,  and  I  could  not  take  my  attention  from 
this  beautiful,  thick,  cream-white  siliceous  clay, 
which  was  in  perpetual  and  incessant  agitation.  Its 
surface  was  ever  changing,  and  as  the  mud  puffs 
flew  up  into  the  air,  and  from  the  nature  of  its  com- 
position, settled  back  into  itself,  like  little  circles  or 
cones,  it  reminded  me  of  a  game  of  checkers,  and  it 
seemed  as  if  the  playful  plastic  material  was  having 
a  colossal  game  with  itself,  and  as  one  checker  of 
white  mud  settled  itself  on  the  surface,  as  if  to  rest 
from  its  labors,  the  mud  next  it  would  jump  up  and 
hop  over  the  first,  as  if  hurrying  to  the  end  to  be 
crowned  and  have  double  power.  All  over  this 
huge  caldron,  this  operation  was  repeated,  over  and 

368 


over,  and  the  **plop,  plop  "  of  this  pasty  stuff  be- 
came quite  musical  to  our  ears.  Three  sides  were 
surrounded,  as  I  said,  with  walls  of  deposit,  but  the 
fourth  side  was  composed  of  some  thirty  or  forty 
cones  or  mud-puffs,  three  or  four  feet  high,  which 
presented  a  cracked  or  seamed  appearance.  These 
little  cone-shaped  hills  are  of  the  softest  and  loveli- 
est shades  of  pink,  and  like  velvet  to  the  touch. 
They  almost  all  have  pulsations,  but  one  attracted 
us  beyond  anything  we  had  seen.  It  was  more  a 
caldron  than  a  cone,  of  thicker  consistency  than 
the  white,  and  of  a  delicate  pink  color.  It  heaved, 
sighed  and  actually  sneezed,  then  lazily  opened  an 
exquisite  lily-like  flower,  and  up  shot,  four  or  five 
feet  into  the  air,  a  little  stream  of  pink,  which  as 
quickly  settled  back,  and  the  lily  became  a  tulip; 
then  doubling  back  its  petals  and  leaves,  an  ex- 
quisite full  rose  was  before  us,  and  with  infinite 
variety  this  process  continued,  until  we  were  driven 
away  by  a  wretched  shower,  which  threatened  to 
cover  us  too  copiously  with  its  "little  drops  of 
water."  We  left  the  marvelous  phenomenon  with 
its  sighs  and  groans,  its  upheavings  and  artistic 
forms  of  ever  changing  variety,  and  hurried  through 
the  mud  to  our  "  home  for  the  night,"  but  not  until 
we  had  seen  the  remarkable  red  feathery  formations 
in  some  springs,  which  flowed  over  the  white 
ground  about  it,  like  rivers  of  blood,  which,  scien- 
tists or  chemists  say,  comes  from  the  ferric  acid, 
which  is  in  the  flow,  and  these  wonderful  colors 

369 


make  chemical  combinations,  producing  the  most 
marvelous  mosaic  rocks,  like  marble  and  onyx.  It 
is  merely  one  of  the  many  things  to  marvel  at. 

Surely  our  first  day's  wanderings  in  this  **  Wonder- 
ful Wonderland,"  made  us  feel  as  if  we  had  been 
fully  repaid  for  all  our  journey,  to  see  such  marvels, 
and  would  have  contented  us  if  we  had  never  seen 
more.  Our  brains  and  bones  were  tired  and  worn, 
and  we  were  in  our  beds  before  nine  o'clock  was 
reached,  thanking  God  in  our  prayers,  that  our  Sun- 
day had  been  spent  among  such  wonders  of  His 
creation,  and  we  could  sing  in  our  hearts :  "  O  all  ye 
works  and  powers  of  the  Lord,  bless  ye  the  Lord ; 
praise  Him  and  magnify  Him  forever." 

MONDAY,   SEPTEMBER  7TH. 

npHIS  band  of  formidable  formations  seems  to 
extend,  so  I  was  told,  about  fifty  miles  across 
the  country,  appearing  at  times  and  places  wholly 
unexpectedly,  and  proving  that  a  tremendous  power 
is  constantly  at  work  under  the  earth's  crust,  moving 
back  and  forth,  and  finding  vents  and  holes  to  expend 
its  fury  and  strength.  It  is  a  mysterious  and  awful 
power,  terrible  in  its  playfulness  and  violence,  even  in 
its  quietest  moments.  This  seems  to  have  been  the 
last  portion  of  our  continent  to  cool  and  become 
hard,  making  one  feel  intuitively  that  the  entire 
crust  of  our  earth  was  once  in  just  such  a  state  of 
ferment  and  activity,  as  this  is  now.  Great  cracks, 
and  hollows,  and  caves,  are  only  thinly  crusted  over, 

370 


and  some  are  treacherous  and  dangerous.  The 
earth's  crust  is  honeycombed  at  some  places,  and 
holes  with  steam  coming  forth,  are  met  at  most  un- 
expected times  and  are  quite  hidden,  making  watch- 
fulness imperative,  and  carelessness  often  pays  a 
painful  penalty. 

It  was  densely  foggy  when  we  awoke,  at  half  past 
six  this  morning,  and  it  took  a  tremendous  amount 
of  self-control  and  courage  to  prepare  for  our  trip, 
with  such  a  frowning  promise  for  the  day.  We  felt 
as  if  the  whole  surrounding  country  had  perhaps 
developed  into  a  huge  geyser,  during  the  night,  and 
this  dense  fog  was  after  all,  a  cloud  of  steam  from 
the  new  crater.  But  **  fortune  favors  the  brave," 
and  when  we  drove  from  the  Fountain  Hotel,  at  ten 
minutes  before  eight  o'clock,  a  ray  of  sunshine  lay 
across  our  path,  and  seemed  to  follow  us  as  we  went. 
The  whole  earth's  surface  seemed  to  rise  up  in  clouds 
of  vapor,  to  kiss  the  sun,  and  as  we  drove  away  from 
the  lower  basin,  it  made  the  most  perfect  picture,  with 
the  white  fleecy  veil  reaching  out  from  the  earth  to 
the  blue  sky  above.  We  drove  a  few  miles,  then 
stopped  by  the  "  Fire-Hole  River  "  (I  always  feel 
as  if  I  could  smell  brimstone  and  sulphur  whenever 
I  name  that  river),  and  after  leaving  our  coaches  and 
crossing  the  aforesaid  stream,  we  had  but  a  tiny  walk 
before  we  stood  on  **  Hell's  Half-Acre."  White  soil, 
with  such  dense  volumes  and  columns  of  steam,  that 
our  fellow-travelers  were  often  enveloped  and  hidden 
from  our  sight,  and  they  were  not  fifteen  feet  away, 

371 


with  a  great  yawning  geyser  on  our  left,  and  in- 
numerable pools  and  springs  on  all  sides  of  us,  such 
was  **  Hell's  Half-Acre,"  and  after  a  solemn  conclave 
we  unanimously  agreed,  that  if  Hell's  HalfAcxQ  was 
as  bad  as  that,  we  did  not  ever  care  to  see  a  whole 
acre  of  that  Infernal  Region.  The  "  Prismatic  Lake" 
was  in  this  dire  place,  but  it  was  so  exquisite  in  its 
beauty,  that  we  were  spell  bound  by  its  waves  and 
bands  of  prismatic  tints,  its  brilliancy  and  radiancy 
being  something  quite  remarkable.  **  Turquoise 
Spring "  was  near  us  on  our  right,  a  crystal-like 
spring  of  exquisite  blue  waters,  so  clear  that  we 
could  see  deep  down  into  its  boiling  depths,  and  the 
little  rivulets  which  conveyed  its  overflow  into  the 
river,  were  lines  of  white,  with  deep  yellow 
borders. 

But  this  awful  abyss  on  our  left,  with  its  terrific 
hissing,  and  gurgling,  and  rumbling,  was  the  crater  of 
the  greatest  of  all  the  geysers,  the  "  Excelsior," — 
whose  eruptions  have  shaken  the  country  for  miles 
around,  and  whose  terrible  volume  of  rising  steam 
never  ceases,  night  or  day,  winter  or  summer,  but 
can  be  seen  for  miles.  The  **  Excelsior"  has  not 
been  in  active  eruption  for  some  time,  but  the  de- 
struction it  has  worked  about  and  within  its  own 
crater,  is  wonderful  to  behold.  It  is  two  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  wide  and  four  hundred  feet  long,  with 
walls  twenty  and  thirty  feet  high.  At  the  bottom 
are  numerous  springs,  boiling  and  sputtering,  great 
boulders  that  have  been  thrown  from  their  resting 

372 


places,  into  masses  and  dire  confusion,  and  such  a 
dreadful  scene, — that  I  felt  as  if  I  had  been  trans- 
ported into  the  realms  of  some  mysterious  and  awful 
spirit.  There  is  utter  desolation  about  these  fire- 
holes  ;  no  tree  lives  near  these  boiling  caldrons  ;  no 
bird  did  we  see,  not  any  living  insect;  in  fact,  the  sili- 
ceous deposits  make  great  white  masses  about  the 
roots  of  all  the  trees. 

After  leaving  this  marvelous  *'  Half  Acre,"  we 
drove  to  the  Upper  Geyser  Basin,  where  the  princi- 
pal geysers  of  the  Park  are  found,  which  are  not 
surpassed  by  any  in  the  known  world.  Iceland  and 
New  Zealand  are  the  proud  possessors  of  such 
demonstrations  of  the  powers  of  the  earth's  central 
force,  but  nowhere  are  geysers  found^  of  such  mag- 
nitude and  magnificence  as  here.  Some  years  ago, 
there  were  said  to  be  four  hundred  and  forty  active 
springs  and  geysers  in  this  Basin,  but  we  saw  so 
many  that  we  could  not  count  them,  and  must  trust 
to  our  memories,  to  retain  facts  and  data  of  a  few 
of  the  many.  As  we  drove  along  the  Fire-Hole 
River,  which  receives  most  of  its  force  from  these 
hot-water  eruptions,  we  were  watching  anxiously  for 
some  sudden  symptoms  of  display,  when  the  coaches 
in  front  of  us  stopped  suddenly,  and  our  driver  elec- 
trified us  by  saying,  "Just  in  time,  there  goes  the 
Mortar!"  Sure  enough,  as  we  drove  up,  this 
beautiful  geyser  was  sending  up  its  stream  of  water 
and  steam,  and  was  a  most  inviting  invitation  and 
initiation  into  the  mysteries  of  the  Upper  Geyser 

373 


Basin.  Then  some  one  shouted,  "The  Grotto, 
quick!"  and  one  after  another  the  horses  tore 
along,  but  an  eruption  was  just  over,  as  we  discovered 
to  our  sorrow.  We  left  our  coach  here,  and  walked 
the  mile  between  us  and  the  hotel,  in  order  to  see 
all  we  could.  "The  Grotto"  was  exquisite  to 
examine,  encrusted  with  a  geyserite  deposit 
like  glorious  pearls,  and  some  portions  were  like 
frost  and  exquisite  white  coral.  As  we  stood 
before  this  grotto  of  gems,  some  one  said,  "  The 
Splendid  is  going  off,"  and  like  a  flock  of  sheep,  we 
all  ran  toward  the  geyser,  which  was  said  to  be  ready 
to  play.  But  we  watched  and  waited  for  some 
time,  then  in  a  line,  we  wandered  to  see  the  great 
"  Giant,"  one  of  the  most  powerful  in  the  Upper 
Basin.  The  numerous  clouds  of  vapor  and  steam, 
between  us  and  the  hotel,  began  to  attract  us  in  that 
direction,  and  as  we  met  a  young  soldier,  who  es- 
corted us  all  over, — everywhere, — we  were  soon 
viewing  the  springs  and  geysers,  in  their  order  and 
regularity,  and  under  "  military  escort."  To  our 
right  and  to  our  left,  behind  us  and  before  us,  were 
spouting  geysers,  and  that  whole  portion  of  the 
earth  seemed  to  be  in  active  motion, — the  entire 
surface  was  covered  with  clouds  and  veils  of  vapor. 

"  Economic,"  a  geyser  which  plays  every  five 
minutes  (as  regular  as  a  clock),  attracted  us  much, 
as  we  watched  the  small  apperture  through  which 
the  water  bubbled  up  at  first,  then  flew  out  into 
space  with  a  roar  and  a  dash,  and  as  quickly  crept 

374 


back  into  the  same  hole  again,  to  get  ready  for  the 
next  uprising.  "The  Grand"  and  "The  Turban," 
— both  geysers, — next  charmed  us,  and  as  we  gazed 
into  their  wonderful  depths,  it  seemed  as  if  some 
fairy  had  touched  the  formations  with  a  magic  wand, 
for  all  was  so  exquisitely  shaped  and  with  such 
marvelous  variety !  A  most  curious  effect  was  wit- 
nessed, as  we  all  gazed  deep  down  into  "  The  Tur- 
ban's" blue  waters.  From  openings  in  the  white 
geyserite  deposits,  deep  down  at  one  side,  shot  out 
great  tongues  of  blue  flames,  licking  the  water  as  if 
to  quench  some  distressing  heat  or  thirst.  Like 
monsters,  these  blue  flames  lapped  against  the 
geyser's  sides,  and  as  they  touched  the  water,  a 
combustion  resulted,  the  reports,  which  were  inces- 
sant, being  distinctly  audible  where  we  stood,  and 
after  each,  bubbles  of  air  rose  to  the  surface,  keep- 
ing a  romping  ripple  playing  across  the  water.  Of 
course,  we  knew  water  would  extinguish  flames,  and 
they  could  not  be  what  they  seemed,  but  some  sci- 
entist explained  to  us,  that  a  certain  gas  coming  out 
of  the  earth  at  that  outlet,  meeting  water,  produced 
combustion,  and  then  the  gas  rose  to  the  surface 
like  an  air-bubble.  It  was  singularly  beautiful.  A 
"  Crested  Pool,'* — so  named  on  account  of  the  glori- 
ous masses  of  ornamentation  about  its  rim,  which 
was  raised  in  beautiful  cushioned  puffs, — "  The  Cas- 
tle,"— a  m^agnificent  and  glorious  fortress  of  deposit 
and  formation,  with  a  great  crater-cone,  many  feet 
high, — both  were  examined,  and  admired. 

375 


We  were  nearing  the  little  hotel,  having  walked  a 
good  long  two  miles,  and  although  we  had  seen  the 
trusty  "  Old  Faithful "  twice,  at  a  distance,  we  de- 
termined to  have  a  nearer  and  more  intimate  ac- 
quaintance. This  geyser,  all  of  wonderful  formation 
and  deposits,  is  raised  above  the  surrounding  ground, 
— but  although  "  Old  Faithful "  was  roaring  and 
hissing,  and  showing  strong  symptoms  of  an  ap- 
proaching display,  we  knew  it  would  not  be  until 
the  proper  and  regular  time,  so  Auntie  and  I  climbed 
up  to  the  crater's  mouth  and  gazed  down  into  its 
steaming  and  gurgling  aperture.  This  formation 
was  like  gems,  too,  being  in  terraces  with  beaded 
and  fretted  rims  and  beautiful  colors,  and  it  was  ex- 
quisite. Just  on  the  moment, — for  Old  Faithful 
plays  every  sixty-five  minutes,  regularly  (it  plays 
five  minutes,  with  sixty  minutes  interval), — it  began 
its  magnificent  eruption,  sending  a  column  of  water, 
two  feet  in  diameter,  up  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
into  the  air,  the  steam  going  half  again  as  high.  It 
was  grand,  marvelous,  wonderful ! 

After  luncheon,  we  thought  another  display  by 
"  Old  Faithful,"  although  our  fourth,  would  please  us, 
so  we  waited  until  it  was  time,  and  while  we  waited, 
the  geysers  just  in  front  of  us,  **The  Lioness  "  and 
"  The  Cub,"  gave  fine  exhibitions  of  their  strength 
and  power,  and  were  beautiful  to  behold.  James 
was  feeling  too  tired  to  walk  any  more,  so  Auntie 
and  I,  with  our  military  escort  (for  he  had  returned 
for  us),  started  out  again,  and  saw  so  many  springs, 

376 


and  pools,  and  geysers,  that  we  were  almost  bewil- 
dered. ''The  Bee-Hive,"  a  glorious  geyser,  did  not 
play  for  us,  it  being  very  irregular, — but  it  is  most 
appropriately  named,  as  is  also  "The  Butterfly," 
merely  a  boiling  spring,  and  "  The  Sponge,"  a  for- 
mation exactly  resembling  the  article  for  which  it  is 
named.  "  The  Bee-Hive  "  throws  water  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty  feet  into  the  air.  ''The  Run," 
"The  Vault,"  "The  Infant,"  "The  Chromatic," 
"  Wave,"  "  Tea-Kettle,"  are  all  exquisite,  with  crys- 
tal waters  and  marvelous  formations  in  their  basins. 
"The  Beauty"  is  rarely  exquisite,  and  blue  as  the 
heavens  above,  while  the  "  Oblong,"  with  an  open- 
ing fifty  by  thirty-one  feet,  is  a  most  glorious  and 
magnificent  geyser.  We  were  hovering  about  "The 
Grotto,"  looking  at  its  glorious  great  aperture,  when 
James  came  in  the  coach,  and  as  steam  was  appear- 
ing from  further  down,  we  drove  to  see  from  whence 
it  came,  and  found  one  of  the  finest  geysers  of  the 
Upper  Basin  was  playing.  We  were  just  in  time, 
and  the  great  "  Riverside "  displayed  its  gigantic 
strength  and  power  for  full  fifteen  minutes,  by  our 
watches.  It  sent  up  two  great  streams,  ninety  feet 
high,  and  roared,  and  hissed,  and  rumbled,  and 
quaked  so  heavily  that  the  ground  under  our  wheels 
shook  violently,  and  we  could  feel  it  distinctly,  sit- 
ting in  our  seats  in  the  coach. 

We  were  quite  satisfied  after  this  display,  having 
seen  many  geysers  play,  so  we  drove  along  to  ex- 
amine some  springs  and  pools.    The  beautiful  and 

377 


unsurpassed  "  Morning  Glory  '*  received  from  us  a 
lengthy  visit.  Its  great  circle,  twenty  feet  in 
diameter,  is  surrounded  by  the  most  beautiful  white 
deposit,  which  crinkles  and  curves  with  exquisite 
irregularity,  and  is  beautifully  encrusted.  From  this 
crisp  edge,  shade  the  morning  glory  tints ;  rose-color 
creeps  from  the  white  and  yellowish  band,  then  blues 
from  light  to  dark,  until  all  is  concentrated  in  a 
royal  purple  !  Water,  clear  as  crystal,  covers  all  these 
waves  of  color,  and  through  the  water,  as  we  looked, 
the  sun  shone  brightly,  the  rays  of  light  bending 
and  blending,  crossing  and  recrossing,  making  little 
golden  squares  over  all,  which  produced  a  harmon- 
ious union,  a  beautiful  whole. 

One  of  our  Alaska  friends,  who  had  visited  the 
Park,  before  the  trip  on  the  Mexico,  begged  us  not 
to  fail  to  see  "  Biscuit  Basin,"  which  is  not  in  the 
regular  route,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  we 
persuaded  our  driver  to  take  us  there.  We  had  to 
make  a  dangerous  ford,  but  it  repaid  us.  A  glorious 
"  Sapphire  Pool "  pulsated  constantly,  and  was  sur- 
rounded by  formations,  resembling  biscuits  of  all 
sizes,  in  rows.  The  pool  was  deep  blue,  and  these 
formations  were  all  olive-green !  A  spring,  called 
the  "  Silver  Globe,'*  was  near  one,  called  the  "  Black 
Pearl,"  both  true  to  their  appellations.  **  Avoca  " 
was  in  perpetual  commotion,  and  **  The  Jewel " 
played  every  three  minutes,  and  was  such  a  rollick- 
ing jolly  little  affair. 

We  reached  the  Fountain  Hotel  about  4.50  P.  M., 
378 


for  we  were  to  spend  another  night  there,  but  no 
sooner  had  we  deposited  our  things  in  our  room, 
than  we  rushed  to  see  the  "  Mammoth  Paint  Pots," 
which  had  fascinated  us  so  much  yesterday.  They 
seemed  more  beautiful — the  rose  ones  especially — 
and  we  vowed  that  they  really  sobbed  and  sighed,  and 
as  the  beautiful  rose-colored  lilies  unfolded  and  de- 
veloped into  one  lovely  form  after  another,  it  seemed 
as  if  Dame  Nature  was  moulding  and  fashioning 
forms,  for  a  sculptor  to  fire  in  her  furnaces,  when 
modeled  exactly  true  ;  but  she  seemed  in  a  dissatis- 
fied mood,  as  if  nothing  was  ever  quite  as  lovely  as 
she  wished  it.  We  mortals  stood  bewildered  by 
the  multitude  of  creations,  and  marveled  at  the 
beauty  of  each. 

TUESDAY,  SEPTEMBER  8TH. 

A  T  8.15  A.  M.  we  left  the  Fountain  Hotel,  at  the 
'^^  Lower  Geyser  Basin,  and  started  on  our  all 
day  drive  to  the  Yellowstone  Cafion.  We  felt  that 
we  had  had  the  most  unusual  and  interesting  part  of 
our  trip,  and  we  quite  settled  ourselves  for  a  monot- 
onous and  hum-drum  day.  We  had  no  more 
geysers  to  see,  except  a  straggling  one,  now  and 
then,  by  the  road-side,  and  when  somebody  said 
**  You  will  have  beautiful  scenery,"  a  query  arose  in 
our  minds,  if  we  had  not  already  seen  the  loveliest 
scenery  in  our  country.  The  Yosemite  was  grand 
and  magnificent;  Alaska  was  interesting  and  un- 
usual ;  Mt.  Hood  was  decidedly  novel  and  inspiring; 

379 


the  Yellowstone  geysers  had  been  phenomenal  and 
most  weird  and  fascinating ;  and  could  anything  come 
now,  to  surpass  any  of  these  ?  Our  day  began  well, 
as  we  had  the  fun  and  excitement  of  making  many 
fords,  and  in  the  middle  of  one  small  river  our  driver 
lost  his  hat,  and  had  to  run  down  stream,  and  fish  it 
out  with  the  whip.  We  drove  through  most  fertile 
and  beautiful  valleys,  going  for  miles  through  the 
most  glorious  green  and  gold  grasses,  with  here  and 
there  a  patch  of  bronze  or  red,  to  illuminate  the 
entire  fields.  We  then  climbed  a  great  moun- 
tain, the  trees  being  numerous  at  first,  but  we  came 
to  many  places  where  a  fire  or  some  destructive 
agent,  had  laid  the  trees  low,  and  for  miles  fallen 
trees,  criss-cross,  at  angles,  in  piles  and  every  kind 
of  a  heap,  surrounded  and  outlined  our  path.  It  was 
an  uninteresting  sight,  but  it  seemed  to  me  that  the 
giants  of  the  forest  must  have  been  having  a  gigantic 
game  of  Jack-straws,  and  left  their  mammoth  game 
in  a  pretty  tight  place,  where  no  one  could  "  play 
without  moving." 

We  passed  over  "  Mary's  Mountain,"  a  very  pre- 
cipitous climb,  one  bit  of  road  being  so  narrow  and 
rough,  that  Jamie  and  I  walked  up  it,  and  found 
afterwards  that  we  had  climbed,  not  "  the  golden 
stairs,"  but  the  "Devil's  Ladder."  It  was  on  this 
mountain,  about  a  year  ago,  that  a  buffalo  appeared 
in  front  of  a  stage-load  of  people,  frightening  the 
horses  so  terribly,  that  they  ran  away  and  upset  the 
stage.     Fortunately  only  one  person  was  injured. 

380 


After  driving  about  sixteen  miles,  we  came  to  a 
hollow  in  between  the  hills,  and  there  found  a  little 
collection  of  tents,  and  were  informed  that  it  was 
"  Larry's  Lunch  Station  !  "  It  was  a  most  remark- 
able place,  one  tent  for  a  dining-room,  one  for  a 
waiting-room,  a  kitchen,  and  all  the  necessary  re- 
quirements ;  and  elk-horns,  with  their  great  branches, 
ornamented  every  available  space  in  front  of  the 
entrance  to  this  remarkable  abode.  On  the  white 
canvas  were  grotesque  drawings,  two  of  which 
we  photographed.  The  owner  of  this  quaint  lunch- 
station,  was  a  roaring  Irishman,  with  a  fund  of  ready 
wit  and  humor,  really  remarkable  and  truly  amusing. 
He  acted  the  part  of  host  to  perfection,  in  his  shirt- 
sleeves and  little  round  skull  cap,  and  although 
"  his  guests "  sat  down  at  his  bountiful  board  as 
strangers,  they  arose  as  friends,  for  his  remarks,  as  he 
walked  back  and  forth  from  one  to  the  other,  to  see 
that  all  were  waited  upon,  produced  such  an 
uproar,  that  we  lost  all  formality  and  ceremony 
while  in  that  tent.  A  long  wooden  bench  stretched 
down  each  side  of  the  table,  and  one  either  had  to  go 
in  at  the  end,  or  climb  over.  As  one  lady  climbed  to 
her  place  at  the  table,  Larry  exclaimed  "  Please,  lady, 
don't  soil  the  upholstery,"  and  soon  perceiving  some 
haste  on  the  part  of  one  person  present,  he  shouted, 
"  You  have  one  hour  and  a  half  to  eat ;  this  ain't  no 
twenty  minute  lunch  counter."  Just  as  we  were  all 
seated  and  had  opened  our  Japanese  napkins,  and 
prepared  for  our  meal,  Larry  electrified  us  all,  by 


shouting  at  the  top  of  his  decidedly  loud  voice, 
"  Let  her  go,  coffee,"  and  to  our  surprise,  from 
another  tent  near  by,  there  came  a  young  man,  with 
an  earthenware  pitcher  full  of  really  excellent  coffee. 
It  was  surprising  how  good  things  did  taste  to  us 
all. 

After  leaving  Larry's,  we  drove  through  a  long 
stretch  of  desolate  country,  owing  to  the  loss  of 
trees,  but  were  surrounded  by  mountains ;  and  as  we 
crept  along,  we  kept  coming  nearer  and  nearer  to 
such  a  peculiar  mountain,  so  white  and  green  and 
yellow  all  over,  and  discovered  that  we  were 
viewing  the  famous  Sulphur  Mountain,  a  most  re- 
markable formation  of  almost  pure  sulphur.  A 
boiling  spring  lies  right  at  the  foot,  on  the  road-side, 
and  was  in  a  very  active  bubbling  state. 

About  four  o'clock,  we  were  climbing  a  very  steep 
ascent,  when  a  sudden  glimpse  from  a  place  called 
"  Grand  Point,"  gave  us  a  little  idea  of  the  beautiful 
scenery  before  us,  of  the  marvelous  Cafion  we  had 
come  so  many  miles  to  see,  and  hurrying  our  horses 
to  the  hotel  which  was  near,  we  lost  no  time  in  ob- 
taining a  little  "  rattle-trap "  of  a  carriage,  and 
drove  rapidly  to  see  the  two  most  extensive  views 
into  the  Cafion,  from  **  Point  Lookout,"  and  *'  In- 
spiration Point."  Point  Lookout  was  reached  by 
driving  to  the  edge  of  the  woods,  and  walking  in. 
And  as  we  neared  this  high  point,  and  saw  the  vision 
of  beauty  which  met  our  eyes  on  every  side,  in  that 
sunset  hour,  when  all  was  bathed   in  floods  of  ex- 

382 


quisite  light,  we  felt  as  if  nothing  so  beautiful  in 
nature,  had  we  ever  seen  before.  Kneeling  on  a  lit- 
tle stone  near  the  edge,  looking  down  hundreds  of 
feet  into  that  vast  abyss,  gazing  ahead  at  the  won- 
derful sheet  of  water  falling  over  the  Yellowstone 
Falls,  three  hundred  and  sixty  feet  without  a  break, 
then  turning  and  looking  backward,  into  that  glori- 
ous coloring,  made  us  feel  as  if  we  had  seen  God's 
Heaven  at  last ! 

Supreme  and  sublime  emotions  come  to  us  all,  at  i 
times  and  seasons  when  we  least  expect  them  ;  they 
do  not  come  at  will,  but  overpower  us  when  we 
know  not  of  their  approach.  Twice  before  in  my 
life  had  I  been  so  deeply  moved,  once  by  Mt.  Blanc's 
superb  serenity  and  golden  glory,  and  again  when 
the  grand  organ  in  the  Cathedral  at  Freiburg,  pealed 
forth  into  the  dimly  lighted  edifice ;  and  now  the 
same  emotions  overwhelmed  me,  and  I  sank  on  my 
knees,  and  the  tears  chased  themselves  down  my 
cheeks,  unbidden  and  unnoticed,  until  Jamie's  alarm 
lest  I  should  fall  or  faint,  brought  me  to  my- 
self. 

If  words  or  pen  could  describe  that  scene  !  The 
great  sides  of  the  Caflon  were  wide  apart  at  the  top, 
but  sloped  gradually  together  at  their  base,  leaving 
a  small  space  through  which  the  river  ran,  like  a 
beautiful  band  of  green,  or  a  strip  of  moss-agate. 
Rising  on  each  side,  as  if  a  great  sea  of  prisms  had 
been  frozen  side-wise  into  a  perpetual  formation, 
the  great  points  and  waves  of  color  rose,  broken  off 

383 


jaggedly  into  pinnacles  of  all  sizes  and  ragged 
edges,  some  standing  alone,  others  in  companies  of 
twos  and  threes.  Over  all  these  formations  and 
groups  were  the  tints  of  beauty,  red  and  deep  crimson 
shading  into  palest  pink  and  rose-color,  browns  and 
orange  tints  to  lemon-color,  purple  of  a  most  royal 
hue,  and  violet  of  such  exquisite  tint,  of  such  distinct 
and  yet  soft  shades,  green  too,  and  olive,  and  purest 
white,  and  such  richness  of  color,  such  blending  and 
harmonious  combinations,  such  mellow  tints,  that 
not  one  harsh  line  was  visible,  not  one  unpleasant 
impression  to  mar  the  whole.  It  seemed  as  if  the 
entire  world  had  been  transformed,  as  if  we  had  been 
gazing  into  "  Hades  Holes,"  and  now  we  were  look- 
ing into  the  "  Heavenly  Gates,"  at  the  amethyst 
walls,  and  streets  of  pearl.  It  seemed  as  if  the  au- 
tumn tints  had  all  been  gathered  here,  as  if  it  was  the 
store-house  of  Dame  Nature's  paints  and  palettes,  as 
if  these  blending  and  mellow  prismatic  walls  were 
nature's  copy  and  inspiration,  for  all  the  beauty  of 
the  trees  in  autumn.  It  impressed  us  all,  and  we 
came  away  reluctantly.  It  left  in  our  hearts  the 
peaceful  exaltation  and  ecstasy  of  a  beautiful  prayer, 
or  hymn  ;  and  it  seemed  as  if  we  could  not  but  be 
better  in  the  world,  because  of  this  blissful  and  per- 
fect vision  of  natural  beauty.  It  was  the  same  scene 
of  loveliness  on  Inspiration  Point,  and  over  all,  the 
mellow  twilight  spread  a  golden  veil,  adding  the  last 
touch  to  that  perfect  scene.  We  were  two  hours  in 
this  paradise  of  color. 

384 


WEDNESDAY,   SEPTEMBER  9TH. 

C  UCH  a  sunshiny  morning  inspires  any  one,  and 
life  seems  worth  living,  when  such  floods  of 
golden  light  cover  the  earth.  Some  rays  must  peep 
into  our  hearts,  on  such  days  as  this,  I  think,  and  it 
is  only  when  our  hearts  and  minds  are  too  full  of 
something  else,  that  the  sunshine  cannot  enter,  and 
we  wonder  then,  why  we  are  not  in  tune  with  such 
glorious  surroundings.  Auntie,  James  and  I  were  in 
full  harmony  with  the  beauty  of  the  morning,  and  as 
soon  as  our  breakfast  was  over,  and  our  luggage 
ready  for  the  coach,  we  started  for  *'  Point  Lookout," 
to  see  in  the  morning  light,  the  beauty  which  had  so 
enthralled  us  in  the  last  sunset  hour.  It  was  a 
twenty  minutes*  walk,  but  as  we  started  before  nine 
o'clock,  we  had  plenty  of  time  before  us  and  were 
able  to  stay  there  a  full  half  hour.  Reaching  Point 
Lookout,  by  the  path  of  rare  beauty  through  the 
woods,  we  immediately  isolated  ourselves,  one  from 
the  other,  to  drink  in  silently  and  to  meditate  alone 
upon  that  rarest  of  rare  beauties  in  nature.  All  be- 
fore us,  in  the  morning  glory,  lay  the  greatest  of 
natural  wonders,  and  the  longer  we  lingered  and 
looked,  the  more  speechless  was  our  admiration, — 
the  more  marvelous  it  seemed  to  us.  It  was  a  dif- 
ferent aspect  in  the  morning, — the  sunlight  came 
from  such  a  different  angle,  and  the  mellow  dreami- 
ness and  exquisite  pathos  of  the  sunset,  had  given 
place  to  the  hopefulness  and  brightness  of  the  morn- 

38s 


ing  glow.  New  beauties  attracted  me,  new  colors 
which  shadows  had  deepened  in  the  twilight  and 
which  I  had  not  seen  distinctly,  and  new  and  beauti- 
ful combinations  of  the  prismatic  tints,  stood  before 
me,  in  such  rare  radiance,  that  I  was  fascinated  anew, 
and  loath  to  leave  this  Point  of  Enchantment,  as  I 
love  to  call  it,  when  Jamie  brought  my  wandering 
thoughts  back  to  terra-firma,  by  the  suggestion  that 
our  half  hour  was  up,  and  our  coach  was  ready  for 
us.  Silently,  in  single  Indian  file,  we  reluctantly  re- 
traced our  steps,  and  found  all  ready  for  our  day's 
drive.  In  that  little  walk,  neither  Auntie,  Jamie  nor 
I  exchanged  a  single  word,  and  it  seemed  as  if  we 
felt  the  need  of  silent  meditation,  to  bring  us  back 
to  every  day  things  again,  and  to  print  indelibly 
upon  our  hearts  and  minds,  that  scene  of  grand  and 
exquisite  beauty.  The  beautiful  Falls  had  been  like 
sparkling  crystals  and  diamonds  in  the  sunshine, 
great  bands  of  emerald  green,  and  a  beautiful  rain- 
bow in  the  mist  and  spray,  and  it  was  like  the  mys- 
tical beauty  of  the  heavenly  land. 

Our  thirteen-mile  drive  was  a  fine  one,  over  a  pass 
in  the  mountains,  through  great  forests  and  along 
splendid  roads,  and  we  reached  Norris  Geyser  Basin, 
about  half  past  twelve.  It  was  old  ground  to  us 
this  time,  but  we  fancied  a  second  view  of  the  gey- 
sers and  great  smoke-holes  would  be  valuable  to  us, 
so  after  our  luncheon,  we  wandered  again  through 
that  marvelous  formation,  which  had  been  our  first 
introduction  to   the    ''Wonders   of    Wonderland. 

386 


On  this  visit,  I  noticed  more  caution, — greater  pru- 
dence in  investigating  hot  places,  and  we  kept  most- 
ly in  the  roadway  and  wandered  little,  in  among  the 
boiling  pools  and  caldrons.  But  our  interest  was 
not  lessened,  but  rather  strengthened,  by  further 
familiarity  with  these  volcanic  forces,  and  we  came 
away  reluctantly,  wishing  our  trip  had  just  begun, 
instead  of  about  to  end. 

When  we  started,  at  about  2.15  P.  M.  for  our  return 
trip  to  the  Mammoth  Hot  Springs,  we  were  informed 
that  we  would  meet,  half  way  in  our  twenty-two 
miles,  a  stage  with  five  people  in  it,  who  would 
change  there  with  us,  and  take  our  driver  and  his 
poor  horses  back  into  the  Park.  We  drove  along 
pleasantly  over  the  same  ground  that  we  had  covered 
in  our  start,  but  when  we  reached  the  Obsidian 
Cliffs,  we  felt  such  interest  in  the  deposits  and  the 
glass  boulders,  that  we  thought  it  well  to  let  the 
horses  rest,  and  we  amused  ourselves  for  a  half  hour, 
wandering  about  those  great  cliffs,  upon  the  pieces  of 
all  sizes,  which  creaked  and  cracked  and  rattled  and 
chatted  to  us,  as  we  walked  over  them.  The  glitter 
of  the  obsidian  is  its  chief  beauty,  and  as  we  watched 
it  in  the  sunshine,  it  was  like  polished  jet  in  the 
bright  light. 

Finally,  the  stage  from  the  Hot  Springs  arrived, 
and  the  transfer  of  passengers  and  luggage  took 
place,  and  our  final  move  towards  the  end  of  this 
part  of  our  journey  was  made.  Imagine  our  horror, 
when  we  discovered  that  our  new  driver  was  intoxi- 

387 


cated,  and  showed  the  symptoms  so  seriously,  that 
we  were  quite  alarmed.  He  had  a  man  on  the  box 
with  him,  to  whom  he  handed  the  reins,  for  about 
nine  miles,  and  then  to  my  horror,  he  came  into  the 
stage  and  sat  with  me, — an  unprecedented  proceed- 
ing. I  was  not  half  so  much  afraid  then,  as  when  he 
held  the  reins,  and  did  my  best  to  keep  him  good-nat- 
ured, smiling  at  his  silly  jests,  and  letting  his  foolish 
remarks  pass  unnoticed.  Jamie  and  Auntie  watched 
me  anxiously,  but  I  carried  out  my  part  of  the 
comedy,  and  acted  as  if  I  enjoyed  my  drunken 
companion.  Finally,  when  the  steepest  part  of  the 
road  lay  before  us,  our  driver  stepped  out  of  the 
stage,  took  a  bottle  of  whiskey,  and  inviting  James 
to  join  him  (which  he  of  course  refused),  turned  it  up 
and  drank  freely;  then  taking  the  reins,  we  went  like 
the  wind,  down  those  three  miles,  through  the  steep- 
est and  narrowest  of  the  passes,  rolling  round  the 
curves  and  corners,  as  if  the  laws  of  centrifugal  forces 
could  not  catch  us,  if  we  flew  fast  enough.  Riding 
on  an  engine,  was  nothing  to  this  excitement,  with  a 
man  at  the  reins,  who  could  not  have  sat  straight,  or 
remained  on  the  coach,  but  for  the  break  at  his  side, 
on  which  his  foot  was  braced.  Jamie,  Auntie  and  I 
said  nothing,  but  pressing  our  lips  tightly  together, 
and  watching  the  lay  of  the  land,  if  a  jump  was 
necessary,  we  resigned  ourselves  to  our  fate,  not 
knowing  which  way  it  might  go,  at  any  moment. 
When  a  person  is  in  a  bad  scrape  and  cannot  get  out 
of  it,  a  calmness  and  resignation  come,  which  are  per- 

388 


fectly  inexplicable,  and   help  one  through.     Such 
was  our  experience. 

We  reached  the  hotel  at  6.40  P.  M.,  having  had  a 
most  glorious  and  enjoyable  trip  through  the 
National  Yellowstone  Park. 

THURSDAY,   SEPTEMBER   lOTH. 

A  UNTIE,  James  and  I  walked  a  little  in  the 
"^  morning.  There  is  a  spring  among  the  Mam- 
moth Hot  Springs  here,  which  coats  any  article 
that  is  put  into  it,  with  a  heavy  glistening  white 
deposit.  We  walked  to  the  little  house  where  these 
^'Coated  Specimens"  from  Cleopatra  Spring,  are  sold. 
At  2  p.  M.,  in  a  heavy  shower  which  had  just 
reached  us,  Auntie  started  on  her  journey  to  Salt 
Lake  City.  Our  afternoon  was  spent  quietly,  rest- 
ing and  writing,  and  watching  the  succession  of 
showers,  chasing  one  another  across  the  mountains 
near  us.  In  the  evening,  we  received  some  calls 
from  those  to  whom  we  had  letters  of  introduction. 

FRIDAY,  SEPTEMBER    IITH. 

T  OVELY  day, — really  too  chilly  for  comfort. 
My  morning  was  spent  writing  and  packing? 
and  we  left  the  Mammoth  Hot  Springs  Hotel,  at 
two  o'clock,  truly  sorry  that  our  pleasant  trip  was 
ended.  Our  drive  to  Cinnabar  was  interesting,  and 
the  wonderful  volcanic  action,  as  well  as  the  glacial 
cuttings,  were  plainly  marked  and  easily  recognized, 
and  the  stranded  boulders  were  a  source  of  constant 

389 


remark,  at  least  to  anyone  interested  in  such  things. 
One  could  easily  trace  the  slow  but  steady  advance 
of  the  great  ice  sheet,  which  had  covered  the  earth, 
so  long  ago,  and  see  the  keen  and  sharp  outline  of 
its  work,  in  the  caflons  through  which  we  drove,  on 
those  eight  miles  to  Cinnabar.  We  had  a  half  hour 
when  we  reached  there,  before  the  train  started,  and 
one  of  the  baggage-men  constituted  himself  our 
guide,  and  took  us  to  see  a  few  curiosities,  live  ones, 
too,  owned  by  the  people  about  there,  which 
were  trotted  out  for  our  special  benefit,  while  an  ad- 
miring crowd  stood  around  us.  There  were  two 
baby  antelopes,  dear  tame  little  creatures,  a  great 
black  bear,  and  a  wolf;  then  a  rattle-snake  was  poked 
out  of  his  cage,  to  rattle  for  us,  and  let  us  take  his 
picture,  and  our  half  hour  passed  pleasantly  and 
profitably. 

At  4  P.  M.  the  train  started,  landing  us  in  Living- 
ston at  six.  The  M —  family,with  James  and  myself 
had  dinner  at  the  "Albemarle  Hotel";  then  we  took 
little  Philip  to  see  the  Mountain  Goat,  and  after 
looking  in  the  few  shops  of  interest,  we  returned  to 
the  hotel.  Mr.  M.  left  his  family  with  James  as 
protector,  and  took  a  train  for  the  West,  so  after 
writing  some  letters,  we  joined  our  new  charges  in 
the  sleeper,  and  long  before  the  train  started,  we 
were  in  bed  and  asleep. 


390 


HOMEWARD! 


SATURDAY,    SEPTEMBER    I2TH. 

nPHE  day  was  beautiful,  and  we  spent  it  quietly 
and  pleasantly,  resting,  reading,  and  watching 
the  varied  scenery  from  our  car  windows.  We  were 
much  interested  in  seeing  Miles  City,  and  Fort 
Keough,  in  Montana,  and  especially  curious  about 
the  Camp  of  Indians,  near  the  latter  place.  Col. 
Page,  an  officer  from  that  fort,  told  us  that  those 
Indians  were  the  Cheyennes,  whom  the  soldiers 
brought  last  winter  from  Pine  Ridge,  where  they 
were  held  and  badly  treated  by  their  enemies,  the 
Sioux.  It  was  a  curious  village,  the  queer  Indian 
tents  being  seen  by  the  dozen,  and  such  squalor  and 
filth  was  visible,  even  from  the  train.  We  also  saw 
twa  cattle  round-ups,  and  the  whippers-in  were  very 
busy,  keeping  refractory  animals  from  making  breaks 
and  succeeding  in  fleeing  from  their  enforced  cap- 
tivity. 

We  anticipated  the  Dakota  "  Bad  Lands  "  very 
much,  but  were  disappointed  when  we  finally  saw 
them.  They  are  a  most  marvelous  formation,  in 
points  and  pinnacles,  turrets  and  domes,  in   every 

391 


remarkable  and  unusual  form  and  size,  many  of 
them  brilliantly  colored,  the  brightest  bands  of  red 
and  yellow,  being  at  the  top  of  these  mounds  and 
hills.  They  interest  one  at  first,  but  soon  grow 
monotonous  and  wearisome.  These  unusual  lands 
were  once  at  the  bottom  of  a  great  sea,  for  the 
rocks  in  them  record  the  fact,  and  make  it  positive 
and  beyond  a  doubt,  as  they  are  full  of  the  most  in- 
teresting and  marvelous  fossils.  Truly  it  is  an  edu- 
cation in  itself,  for  one  to  travel  through  this  won- 
derful country  of  ours,  and  if  one's  eyes  are  open  to 
all  the  interesting  sights  and  scenes,  a  store  of  infor- 
mation can  be  tucked  away,  to  be  properly  de- 
veloped when  time  and  opportunity  allow.  Jamie 
and  I  are  returning  home,  with  a  firm  determination 
to  read  and  digest  the  many  books  we  have  heard 
of,  and  to  look  well  into  the  continent  building 
forces,  which  have  interested  us  so  much  of  late. 

The  Dakota  wheat  fields  were  a  marvel  in  their 
wonderful  harvest,  as  we  steamed  through  them  to- 
day. For  miles  on  every  side  of  us,  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach,  were  these  yellow  mounds,  bearing 
such  a  harvest  as  Dakota  has  never  known  before. 
A  prairie  sunset  of  marvelous  beauty,  finished  a 
really  interesting  day,  on  our  journey. 

SUNDAY,  SEPTEMBER   13TH. 

COMETIMES  "common-place  days"  are  a  treat, 

the  very  idea  of  having  nothing  to  do,  being 

restful,  and  after  a  feast  in  mysteries  and  wonders 

392 


and  color,  such  as  we  have  had,  in  the  Yellowstone, 
we  are  quite  ready  for  the  dusty  railroad  again. 
Having  the  Drawing  Room  last  night,  we  slept 
very  well,  and  were  hardly  ready  to  waken  when  the 
porter  knocked,  at  7.30  A.  M.  We  lost  our  travelling 
companions,  Mrs.  M.  and  little  Philip,  and  Miss  M. 
when  we  reached  Staples,  in  Minnesota,  about  break- 
fast time. 

Minnesota  is  a  beautiful  state,  and  coming  out  of 
Dakota,  with  its  broad  expanse  of  treeless  prairies, 
it  was  a  delight,  in  the  lovely  autumn  tints,  and  as 
we  watched  the  varied  and  brilliant  colors,  it  seemed 
as  if  the  Grand  Caflon  of  the  Yellowstone  had  been 
brought  to  this  region  and  distributed  liberally  over 
the  land.  We  reached  Minneapolis  all  too  soon  and 
unexpectedly,  feeling  bright  and  more  refreshed 
than  after  any  trip  before,  of  similar  length.  Our 
day  was  uneventful.  A  rest,  some  writing,  dinner  in 
our  room,  and  a  lovely  quiet  evening,  and  then  to 
sleep. 

MONDAY,  SEPTEMBER   I4TH. 

T  rERY  warm,  beautifully  bright.  After  strolling 
about  the  city,  looking  into  the  shop  windows 
and  enjoying  some  fine  pictures,  we  were  so  warm 
and  so  tired,  that  we  returned  to  the  West  Hotel, 
and  rested  awhile  before  luncheon,  and  as  we  were 
on  our  way  to  the  dining-room,  Jamie's  Aunt  Annie, 
with  her  daughter  and  son,  came  to  call  upon  us. 
Jamie  had  never  seen  these  cousins,  and  it  was  the 

393 


principal  reason  that  brought  us  to  Minneapolis. 
They  took  us  to  drive,  for  three  hours  or  more,  and 
we   saw  the  famous  Minnehaha  Falls,  where  they 

"  Flash  and  gleam  among  the  oak-trees, 
Laugh  and  leap  into  the  valley." 

One  could  easily  picture  the  beautiful  maiden  and 
Hiawatha  her  lover,  in  that  exquisite  spot,  as  she 
placed  her  hand  in  his,  and  her  promise  **  I  will  fol- 
low you,  my  husband,"  seems  to  have  been  the  song 
of  those  water  witches  ever  since. 

We  drove  about  two  beautiful  lakes,  with  fine 
boulevards  surrounding  them,  which,  with  the  arched 
roadways  of  exquisite  shade  and  natural  beauty, 
make  a  drive  any  city  might  view  with  envy.  Lake 
Harriet  and  Lake  Calhoun  are  indeed  gems  of  beauty, 
and  well  deserve  their  popularity.  We  went  home 
with  our  newly  found  relatives  and  remained  to  sup- 
per with  them,  meeting  all  the  cousins  whom  we  are 
so  glad  to  know  at  last. 

TUESDAY,   SEPTEMBER    15TH. 

JAMES*  cousin  Mamie,  came  early  this  morning 
and  took  me  for  a  long  and  very  beautiful  drive. 
Truly  Minneapolis  is  a  charming  city,  and  so  eastern 
in  appearance,  we  are  delighted  with  it. 

Our  afternoon  was  spent  writing  and  resting,  and 
we  made  a  few  visits  in  the  evening.  It  is  a  relief 
to  us  sometimes  to  have  a  quiet  day. 

394 


WEDNESDAY,   SEPTEMBER   i6tH. 

A  DAY  without  an  event  to  chronicle,  is  indeed  a 
"^  rarity  in  our  present  wandering  existence,  and 
yet  it  was  restful  and  sweet  to  us,  **to  pause 
and  ponder  by  the  way."  Needful  are  these 
periods  of  quiet  repose  to  us,  and  we  always  enjoy 
an  undisturbed  day  together. 

We  made  a  little  call  in  the  afternoon  on  the  cous- 
ins, and  aunt,  and  took  a  few  views  with  our  camera. 

THURSDAY,  SEPTEMBER  17TH. 
A  S  James  had  some  important  business  to  attend 
'^^  to  in  Minneapolis,  he  asked  Aunt  Annie  and 
Mamie,  to  accompany  me  to  St.  Paul  to-day.  We 
had  planned  to  spend  several  days  there,  but  an 
ungovernable  desire  to  get  home  suddenly  seized  James, 
and  he  wanted  to  start  at  once. 

St.  Paul  is  a  wonderfully  beautiful  City,  and  I 
suppose  would  be  pronounced  far  ahead  of  Minne- 
apolis, by  anyone  having  no  particular  interest  in 
either  place  to  influence  them.  The  houses  are 
certainly  most  palatial  and  inviting,  and  with  a  few 
exceptions  on  Fifth  Avenue,  in  New  York,  are  far 
ahead  of  our  city,  in  number  and  architectural  beauty, 
but,  I  came  back  with  pleasure  to  Minneapolis,  and 
decidedly  prefer  this  city  to  her  rival,  St.  Paul. 

I  returned  in  time  to  pack,  and  was  ready  to  start 
for  the  east  at  seven  o'clock,  when  we  took  the  train 
for  Chicago.  Homeward  bound  in  reality  !  Jamie 
is  like  a  little  boy  in  his  anticipation ! 

395 


FRIDAY,   SEPTEMBER   i8TH. 

AX /"E  reached  Chicago  about  nine  o'clock,  having 
had  a  pleasant  and  comfortable  trip  from 
Minneapolis.  We  went  at  once  to  the  Auditorium 
Hotel,  and  expected  to  stay  a  few  days,  to  again  see 
our  friends.  Jamie,  however,  felt  so  impatient  to 
get  home  that  he  could  not  hear  of  any  delay,  and 
we  decided  to  start  for  home  to-night  at  five  o'clock. 
It  had  always  been  James'  desire  to  take  me  to 
Mr.  K's  store,  to  see  the  working  of  that  large  estab- 
lishment, and  to  meet  some  of  his  friends  whom  I 
did  not  know.  This  morning,  he  insisted  upon  my 
going,  and  we  had  such  a  pleasant  time,  seeing  the 
entire  process  of  the  work  and  meeting  such  a  host 
of  friends,  who  welcomed  us  most  cordially.  Two 
sad  items  of  news,  however,  greatly  depressed  us. 
We  learned  this  morning  of  the  sudden  death  of  our 
new  but  dear  friend,  Mrs.  J.  in  Salt  Lake  City,  and 
we  feel  deep  sympathy  for  that  young  husband,  and 
his  motherless  little  ones.  Then  trouble  has  come 
to  another  friend,  whom  we  left  in  Chicago  in 
May,  in  such  health,  and  full  of  promise.  As  Jamie 
and  I  drove  along  on  our  return  to  the  Hotel,  he 
comforted  me,  in  the  sudden  shock  which  had  come 
to  us  both,  and  said,  *'  We  are  sad,  May,  and  I  do 
not  see  how  we  can  help  it,  but  we  must  not  let  it 
depress  us  too  much,  for  we  are  spared  to  each  other 
yet,  and  are  so  happy  and  well,  and  I  am  so  thankful 
for  that." 

356 


Stopping  at  the  photographer's  studio,  to  order 
more  of  Jamie's  pictures,  the  artist  urged  us  to  let 
him  make  a  large  crayon  head  of  him  for  me,  at  which 
he  exclaimed,  *'  Who  wants  a  large  crayon  of  me 
hanging  about  ?  No^  people  do  that  after  one  is 
dead  r^  As  we  stepped  into  the  carriage  again, 
Jamie  turned  to  me,  asking  if  I  *^  really  wanted  that 
crayon  very  much,"  and  when  I  said  that  it  would 
be  a  pleasure  to  have  it,  he  hurried  again  into  the 
studio.  In  five  minutes  he  joined  me  saying, 
"  There,  May,  the  crayon  is  ordered  for  you,  but 
don^t  have  it  framed  till  I  am  dead!  " 

At  five  o'clock,  we  took  the  Pennsylvania  Limited 
for  New  York,  and  meeting  our  friend,  Mr.  I.  from 
Brooklyn,  we  spent  a  pleasant  evening,  chatting 
with  him. 

SATURDAY,   SEPTEMBER   I9TH. 

T^HE  slowest  of  slow  days  !    It  seemed  as  if  the 
time  could  not  go  fast  enough,  to  keep  pace 
with  our  impatience  and  eager  desire  to  get  home. 

"We're  four  hours  late!"  exclaimed  Jamie  this 
morning,  "  but  perhaps  we'll  make  up  some  time." 
All  this  day,  the  time-table  for  the  Staten  Island 
boats,  was  constantly  studied,  and  much  anxiety  ex- 
pressed for  fear  we  could  not  catch  the  midnight 
boat  from  New  York.  At  a  quarter  past  eleven 
o'clock,  we  rolled  into  the  depot  at  Jersey  City,  being 
over  four  hours  late.  We  easily  caught  the  last  boat 
to  the   Island,  and  at  half  past  one  o'clock  Sunday 

397 


morning,  September  20th,  we  reached  the  home  and 
loved  ones  so  dear  to  us.  How  good  it  was !  All 
the  way,  as  we  drove  from  our  little  station  to  the 
house,  in  a  beautiful  path  of  moonlight,  Jamie  kept 
exclaiming,  "  Isn't  it  lovely  to  get  home  !  The  best 
part  of  going  away  is  the  coming  home,"  etc.,  etc., 
but  although  I  was  overjoyed  to  see  the  dear  ones 
again,  a  nameless  something  made  me  sad,  as  well 
as  glad.     Was  I  too  tired  ? 


398 


T7 IGHT  days  of  unspeakable  happiness  followed, 
"^  days  of  joy  in  everything  about  us,  such  per- 
fect pleasure  and  serene  content ;  and  the  home  was 
never  so  lovely  to  us.  Jamie  exclaimed,  the  morn- 
ing after  our  arrival,  "Although  we  have  seen  many 
beautiful  places  in  our  own  country.  May,  there  is 
no  spot  so  lovely  and  beautiful  as  this  home  of  ours, 
after  all."  Jamie  had  found  that  "  Be  it  ever  so 
humble,  there's  no  place  like  Home." 

Many  times,  during  those  few  days,  Jamie  spoke 
of  the  wonderful  good  fortune,  that  had  followed  us 
in  all  our  trip,  and  how  remarkable  it  was  that  we 
had  always  been  either  just  ahead,  or  just  behind, 
the  numerous  railroad  accidents,  on  the  roads  over 
which  we  had  passed,  having  had  no  annoyance  save 
one  or  two  short  delays,  in  reaching  our  destination. 
"  I  hope  you  give  thanks  daily  May,  for  I  do,  for  we 
surely  have  been  guided  and  watched  over  by  a 
Divine  Providence." 

And  we  had  been!  That  same  Guiding  Hand 
had  brought  us  home,  just  when  we  should  have 
come,  and  granted  us  more  happiness,  so  that  we 
thought  we  felt  strong  in  heart  and  body,  for  what- 

399 


ever  might  come ;  and  when,  only  four  days  later, 
the  Father  took  one  of  us  gently  by  the  hand,  and 
led  him  to  that  Better  Land,  where  his  eyes  should 
behold  more  wonderful  wonders  and  greater  beauty^ 
than  together  we  had  seen,  it  seems  as  if  his  lips 
must  have  whispered  again,  "  There  is  no  place  like 
this  Home." 

"  I  can  not  say  and  I  will  not  say 
That  he  is  dead. — He  is  just  away ! 

With  a  cheery  smile,  and  a  wave  of  the  hand, 
He  has  wandered  into  an  unknown  land. 

And  left  us  dreaming  how  very  fair 
It  needs  must  be,  since  he  lingers  there. 

And  you — O  you,  who  the  wildest  yearn 
For  the  old-time  step  and  the  glad  return, — 

Think  of  him  faring  on,  as  dear 

In  the  love  of  There,  as  the  love  of  Here  ; 


Think  of  him  still  as  the  same,  I  say : 
He  is  not  dead — he  is  just  away  !  " 


400 


91amej8  malcott  l^aglel^urjst. 

Worn  april  I4tli  X856* 
2DteD  O^ctober  l0t  X89X* 

"  K  man  beart?  belobeb." 


m^ 


401 


f 
Hay 

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